The heir of Theodred
by Charlotte1
Summary: Set two years after the war of the ring, Lothiriel, wife of Eomer, finds a letter that reveals a carefully guarded secret that sends everything disarray... MAIN STORY FINISHED. Includes tales of Theodred's daughter Mayda. New story ELFWINE!
1. Chapter 1

Title: The heir of Théodred  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the words and the original characters; the rest belongs to the Tolkien estate.  
  
Warning: Obviously AU, but not drastically so  
  
Summary: Two years after the war of the ring a strange secret is unearthed in Meduseld. Lothiriel whilst exploring the palace comes across a letter addressed to Théodred, the deceased cousin of her new husband King Éomer. When it is opened, it reveals something no one could ever have expected...  
  
The heir of Théodred  
  
Chapter One  
  
Lothiriel looked over the mountains that surrounded her new home and felt a familiar sense of longing. Long had it been since she saw the ocean and she wished dearly for the familiar scent carried on the soft winds. She was happy, she could not deny that, but she wished so dearly that the man she had fallen in love with was not the King of Rohan, but a man of Dol Amroth. The role as queen was still alien to the young woman and she often found herself wishing that she did not have to share her husband with the rest of the nation.  
  
The wind buffered against the young queen and she wrapped her cloak around her shoulders. As she did this the parchment she kept hidden in her breast pocket pressed against her skin and she bit her lip. Had she done wrong to explore the palace? Had she been wrong to take the letter addressed to her husband's deceased cousin? What was she going to do with it?  
  
"My lady?" Eleriel, Lothiriel's handmaiden and most loyal friend, said softly from behind the new queen. Lothiriel reluctantly passed out of her reverie and turned to face her dear friend. Eleriel looked slightly worried. "The party from Ithilien will be arriving shortly my lady, and I have been asked to help you prepare for their arrival." Lothiriel smiled and nodded.  
  
"Of course my dear friend," she said and together they retreated into the palace. Lothiriel was looking forward to the arrival of the party from Ithilien, despite the graveness of their reason for visiting. She was especially eagerly awaiting the arrival of Eowyn, her heavily pregnant sister in law. The two women had met at the coronation of King Elessar and had instantly become firm friends. It was Eowyn who had introduced the young princess of Dol Amroth to the newly crowned nervous king of Rohan.  
  
Lothiriel had been severely worried for Eowyn and her husband for many months now, since the orcs that remained in Mordor had assailed the borders of Ithilien under the leadership of some Harad mongrel. The armies of Ithilien and Gondor were outnumbered by the orcs and the Haradrim. Finally it seemed that Faramir had accepted defeat and was bringing his wife to the safety of her brother's home and was coming to ask for aid.  
  
"Which gown would you like to wear my lady?" Eleriel asked holding up the two options. Lothiriel gave her friend a tired look.  
  
"Eleriel, we are no longer in public, please, enough with the 'my lady' nonsense," she chuckled and Eleriel went slightly pink in the face.  
  
"I'm sorry dear Lothiriel, I am still trying to get used to the ways of this land as you are!" the handmaiden sighed, but as soon as the look of dismay had creased her pretty features it was gone once more, to be replaced with a happy smile. "Anyway, come now, we must hurry, I'm afraid we are behind schedule as I could not find you in these grand halls." Lothiriel smiled fondly at her friend and pointed to the pale yellow dress that she held in her right hand.  
  
"I'll wear that one."  
  
X X X  
  
Lothiriel kept silent as Faramir addressed her husband and the council. She had only briefly greeted Eowyn and her husband before they had been swept into the great hall in order to discuss the grave situation at hand.  
  
"Perhaps we should take our leave," Eowyn whispered to her friend. Lothiriel smiled and gave the glowing mother-to-be a sidelong glance.  
  
"You may be right sister," she whispered back and together the two ladies crept out of the hall unnoticed. "How do your people fare, have there been many casualties?" the queen asked as soon as they were out of the hall. Eowyn sighed and shook her head.  
  
"I fear that many have perished in the smaller villages along the Anduin, but my husband's armies always arrive too late. I do hope that my brother can send riders in aid of our people," Eowyn explained, sighing heavily. Lothiriel nodded.  
  
"He will," she said softly and the pair turned a corner onto the corridor that Lothiriel had been exploring that very morning. This brought Lothiriel's attention back to the letter she had unearthed and she decided that perhaps she could use it to distract her friend from her worries. " Eowyn, this morning I found something I think you and my dear husband should probably know about," she said reaching into the inner pocket of her cloak. Eowyn turned to look at her curiously.  
  
"What is it sister?" she asked eagerly. Lothiriel sighed before pulling out the letter and presenting it to her friend. Eowyn upon seeing the name on the letter looked slightly stricken, but she reached out to take it nonetheless. Trembling slightly she opened the letter, as memories of her dear cousin came flooding back. With one look to her friend she started to read the short note written in a beautiful script.  
  
XXXXXX  
  
My dearest Théodred,  
  
She is beautiful. If only you could come sooner, you will miss the first weeks of her life. She looks like her father. She has your eyes. I know she longs for you in her heart of hearts...she will not lie still and she cries even when she is fed and dry, and nothing I do can still her. Your daughter needs you my lord...as do I. Please find your way to Gondor soon.  
  
With all my love Maydithil, and your precious Mayda Théodwyn  
  
XXXXXX  
  
"Dear friend, you have gone deathly pale, will you not sit?" Lothiriel suddenly gasped once Eowyn had reached the end of the short note. Eowyn shook her head firmly and looked into her sister-in-law's eyes.  
  
"Where did you come across this?" she asked sounding amazed. Lothiriel guided her friend to the room she had been rummaging in and she showed her the pile of belongings that had not been disturbed for several years. " Why I have never seen any of these things before," Eowyn gasped as she lifted a few pieces of blank parchment to find a journal and several more letters. Without hesitation she picked everything up and rushed out into the corridor.  
  
"Where are you going?" Lothiriel called after her.  
  
"We must show these to my brother, it cannot wait!" she called back and the two women rushed back to the hall they had just vacated. All eyes turned on them as they burst in. Éomer jumped to his feet in surprise and Faramir rushed towards Eowyn. She however, pushed past him to her brother and dumped the papers at his feet.  
  
"You will not believe it brother, you simply will not believe what I have to say," she panted, placing a hand on her swollen belly.  
  
"Well what is it dear sister?" Éomer asked sounding amused. Eowyn thrust the letter Lothiriel had given her into his hand and watched as his expression turned from one of curiosity to one of utmost shock. He read it several times before looking up, eyes wide with amazement.  
  
"He had a child?" he croaked.  
  
"A daughter! Éomer this is incredible, how is this even possible?" Eowyn gasped, finally sitting down in Lothiriel's throne.  
  
"Well where did this come from? How do we know that it is real?" Éomer asked looking to the papers at his feet. He reached down to pick up the journal and opened it to find his cousin's handwriting staring back at him.  
  
"Lothiriel found the letter in a deserted room I have never been into before," Eowyn replied looking to her sister-in-law for input. Éomer looked up in surprise at the name of his wife and he looked at her questioningly.  
  
"I found it this morning my lord, I was exploring," she explained sheepishly. Éomer smiled affectionately at her and turned back to the journal.  
  
"I have never seen these before. Théodred obviously did not wish for these things to be found," he said and he opened the journal in the middle and skimmed over the pages. The names Maydithil and Théodwyn appeared in almost every sentence. "This is just unbelievable. How could he have a family that we did not know of? Why did he not marry this Lady?"  
  
"What's more brother, if these items are not feigned, then we must seek out this child, for then Théodred has an heir," Eowyn said softly. Éomer's eyes went wide and he looked to his sister in shock. An heir...he was not the rightful king...  
  
"Faramir," the King suddenly said, stepping down off the throne platform. Faramir stepped forward to meet him. "I will come to Gondor to your aid, and I will bring two thousand riders."  
  
X X X  
  
By sundown Éomer and Eowyn had read all there was to read and they had gained some insight on the acts of their departed cousin. They learnt that this Maydithil woman was in fact a Lady of Gondor, the sole heiress to her father's estate along the Anduin. She feared to leave Gondor and wished for anything except a grand life. When Théodred had begged her to return to Rohan to be his bride she had refused to his first wish, but assented to his second. Stricken with love Théodred married his lover in Ithilien and travelled out to see her as often as he could. After several years Maydithil fell pregnant and she bore Théodred a daughter named Mayda Théodwyn, in honour of Éomer and Eowyn's mother. He travelled to see his family more often until finally the last entry in the journal described the little girl's fifth birthday.  
  
By dawn the riders of Rohan had assembled and Éomer was ready to lead the Rohirrim back into battle.  
  
"I cannot believe that I have pushed you away into battle ere we have been married two months," Lothiriel whispered to her husband as he came to bid her goodbye.  
  
"You have pushed me to nothing my love, I would have gone to aid my sister's husband had you not presented the letter," he countered taking her hand in his. "But now we have learnt of this child, she must be found and brought to safety! I have a niece Lothiriel, a niece who is the rightful heir to this land and I must find her." Lothiriel nodded gravely and she kissed his weather-beaten fingers.  
  
"I know my darling," she sighed and she looked up to her husband's eyes and kissed him. "Be safe!"  
  
X X X  
  
The ride to Ithilien was brief as the well-trained Eorlingas could cover many leagues in a day. Not three nights had passed before the riders had reached Ithilien. Here they split into éoreds and Éomer bade his brother-in- law goodbye in order to take his éored in search of the small village that his cousin had described in his journal. As they crossed the lands of Ithilien they did not meet much resistance, but the wreckage that was left in the wake of the orcs was heart breaking and Éomer was more than pleased when they reached a ridge to find orcs pillaging the village that was home to Maydithil and Théodwyn.  
  
"Ride Eorlingas, let us rid this land of the foul creatures that soil it!" he shouted to his troops and they rode into the village dispersing many of the orcs. Éomer took three of his most trusted riders and led them on the route he had memorised by heart the route to the estate of his cousin's wife. They met with much resistance and by the time they had reached the dilapidated grand mansion they had slain many orcs.  
  
"It does not look inhabited my lord," one of Éomer's riders pointed out. Éomer regrettably nodded in agreement.  
  
"Perhaps someone has remained and can tell us where the lady of the house has gone," he said and they climbed off their horses and walked towards the house. They found it deserted and were returning to their steeds when they heard the foul cry of orcs. Éomer clutched at his sword and ran round the back of the mansion, followed by his men. They found a company of orcs closing in on a small wooden hut...a shed almost, which lay towards the back of the large garden.  
  
"Come now little one, we only want to eat you," one of the foul creatures cackled and the orcs burst out into laughter that made Éomer's skin crawl.  
  
"On my mark," Éomer whispered to his men and he crept round the back of the company of orcs. "Now Eorlingas!" he shouted and they leapt into the back of the hoard. As Éomer's men dealt with the majority of the company and led them away, he struggled to the front in time to find an orc opening the door to the shed and peering in. Without hesitation he slew the Orc and rushed into the shed, managing to close the door, shutting out the pandemonium that lay outside.  
  
Éomer stepped forward tentatively. A tiny child on the other side of the wooden shed shuffled into the shadows, and Éomer could have sworn he saw her shaking from fear. He stepped back slightly and cast his armour a glance in understanding. He quickly undid the chest plate and pauldron and rested them on the ground before stepping forward once more.  
  
"I am not going to hurt you child," he said softly, hoping that this child was the one he sought. The little girl moved to the side and a ray of light was cast on her pale blue eyes. In an instant the image of Théodred flashed before Éomer's eyes. She has her father's eyes, he gasped, amazed at the similarity between them.  
  
"You're from Rohan," a small whisper came from the shadows. Éomer smiled and fingered the horse emblem on his hauberk. "What are you doing here? There's nasty orcs outside, aren't you afraid they'll hurt you?"  
  
"Are you afraid of them?" Éomer asked taking a few steps closer and then crouching down within an arm reach of the little girl. The pair of eyes nodded in and out of the light jerkily. "Won't you come into the light so as I may see you?" The child did not move.  
  
"Why are you here?" she repeated sounding scared. Éomer smiled and leaned heavily on his knee, leaning forward.  
  
"I am looking for you," he whispered. The little girl stared him in the eye and she must have seen the kindness that lay there, for she stepped forward into the light. She was a half-starved little thing, dressed in a tatty dirty surcoat and cloak, but nothing could detract from the childish beauty that was evident even from beyond the mud and scratches that littered her face, something in her look reminded Éomer of his sister. Her long blonde hair was a mass of tangles hanging limply down over her shoulders. Tied to her belt was a dagger. It was an orc's blade that she had evidently robbed from the dead that littered the streets.  
  
For a moment Éomer hesitated, was this really the child of the Gondorian Lady he had read about in his cousin's letters and journal, but then he saw the necklace she wore. It had once belonged to Elfhild, Théodred's dear mother who had died in childbirth. Éomer himself had been present when his uncle Théoden had presented it to his son. So that is where it went, Éomer thought, remembering that one day the jewel had disappeared from around Théodred's neck.  
  
"Who are you?" the little girl asked looking up into Éomer's eyes. Her gaze was unnervingly penetrating and Éomer felt as though she were reading him like a book.  
  
"First let me ask you a question, if I might?" Éomer said raising his eyebrows cautiously. After a moment's hesitation the child nodded. "I came here seeking two people, but now I am here I find only one. Where dear child is your mother?" Éomer instantly regretted asking this question, as tears started to well up in the girl's eyes. The girl seemed incapable of speech, but her eyes gave away her secret as they darted towards the door where the orc Éomer had assailed lay dead.  
  
"She was killed by orcs." Éomer sighed. It was not a question. The girl nodded and she wiped angrily at her tears.  
  
"A year ago," she hissed, her stare turning into a murderous glare as she eyed the dead orc, but soon her face dissolved into a look of dismay and she looked back up at Éomer.  
  
"That is true, I was to tell you who I am, but in doing this I must first ask you just one more question if I may?" The little girl nodded slowly and stepped over to him, crouching down in the same manner as he stood. Éomer smiled at her and leaned closer. "Do you remember your father?" For an instant a look of glee crossed the girl's face and a happy smile pulled at the corners of her mouth, but as soon as it appeared it was gone again.  
  
"Yes, he was a prince! He used to bring me pretty dolls and dresses and he would always play with me. He used to let me ride on his back as though he were a horse and two times he even took me out on a real horse, all the way to the border of Rohan!" she explained, a look of immense pride on her face, but soon it fell and the tears returned to her eyes. " But then he stopped coming, and mamma told me that he had died and she cried all night and all day and then all the next night too. I miss him." With this she fell back into silence and looked up at Éomer in suspense. Éomer though was caught up in his thoughts. How could his cousin, who he thought of as a brother, have kept a family he held so dear a secret? "Um, excuse me sir, but can I know who you are now?" Éomer was shaken out of his unhappy reverie and he looked to the little girl and smiled.  
  
"Of course my dear child, my name is Éomer, and I was your father's cousin," he said. The child looked up at him in awe. "Hello Théodwyn," he added softly. The girl cocked her head to one side and frowned.  
  
"Théodwyn? Who is that?" she asked sounding confused. Éomer too looked suddenly confused.  
  
"Is that not your name?" he mumbled. The little girl giggled and shook her head.  
  
"No," she giggled. "I'm called Mayda!" Éomer sighed with relief and smiled.  
  
"Did you not know that your name was Mayda Théodwyn?" he asked smiling fondly at the little girl. Her eyes grew wide once more and she shook her head. "You were named for my mother Mayda who died when I was very young, just like your father's mother. He was like a brother to me Mayda and I too miss him dearly. If you will allow me, I would like to take you back to Rohan to look after you as my own, as my dear uncle once did for me..." He paused as an orc cry was heard right outside the shed. Instinctively he reached out to his niece and pulled her into a protective grasp. The little girl did not object. "We cannot stay here. Come we must go. Will you come with me to Rohan?" She looked up at him with longing and nodded eagerly, it had been too long since this precious child had had a home to call her own. Éomer smiled and climbed to his feet.  
  
"Very well," he said heartily and he pulled his armour back on. " Do you have any possessions in this...lovely hovel?" Mayda smiled impishly and rushed to the very depths of the shed and found a small pack. She threw it over her shoulders and rushed over to her uncle. Éomer took up his shield and handed it to the little girl. "Hold this in front of you until we reach my éored," he ordered firmly, but the child stared up at him blankly. "Until we reach my company," he added with a smile. Mayda nodded resolutely and took the heavy shield from her uncle, bending with its weight. Éomer took up his sword and helm. "Are you ready?" Mayda nodded grimly, grasping for Éomer's hand. He took it and pulled the child close. " Whatever happens Mayda, do not let go."  
  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
  
More to come soon. What do you think? Comments, criticisms (bearing in mind that this is labelled as AU), praise, anything, will be much appreciated. Except malicious flamers, they're the scum of the universe!  
  
A/N – I know it should be first cousin once removed, but seeing as Éomer and Théodred were as brothers, Éomer sees the child as his niece 


	2. Chapter 2

The heir of Théodred  
  
Chapter Two  
  
Mayda remained close to her uncle throughout the fray. She did not dare open her eyes, but managed to keep up with Éomer by hanging onto his arm alone. This did have the unfortunate effect of handicapping the King of the Mark, but fortunately they had not stepped ten paces outside the hut before Éomer's men returned to them. Amling, Éomer's highest-ranking rider personally escorted them to the horses they had left behind. It is here that Mayda eventually opened her eyes and she looked up in wonder at her brave uncle. He managed to smile at her before taking the shield from her and lifting her onto one of the horses. Turning on his trusted friend he placed a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Amling, I wish for you to do me a favour that is of grave importance to the Mark," he said. In an instant the hardened rider knew what his King was asking of him. His eyes flew to the bedraggled child that sat atop the steed who was watching them curiously. " I cannot leave the riders leaderless. My place is with them, and I would not trust none with the task of escorting this child back to Edoras, save you alone."  
  
"You're not coming with me?" Mayda suddenly asked. Éomer looked on her gravely; she looked like the personification of abandonment. The King stepped forward and took his niece's hand in his own.  
  
"I will come to you soon Mayda," he said vehemently. "You have my word on that! A king's place is with his people, how can I expect my rider's to fight in a battle that is not theirs, when their ruler flees from it?" Mayda stared at him once more in awe.  
  
"You never said you were a king," she finally uttered with newfound reverence for her rescuer. Éomer smiled and stepped backwards.  
  
"There is much for you to find out Mayda, and much for you to feel proud of," he said and he indicated to Amling to mount the horse behind his niece. "In Edoras you will meet my wife and sister, ask them anything you like and they will tell you of your great heritage!" With this he exchanged a significant look with Amling, who nodded in response before nudging the steed into a slow walk.  
  
"Wait, when will I see you again?" she called back to her uncle, turning in the saddle so as to see him standing alone.  
  
"When we have rid this land and I have avenged your mother's death," he called back lifting his hand in an effort to wave. " Go now, be safe!" Amling then nudged his steed once more and he rode the young heir out of the village and away from the only home she had ever known.  
  
X X X  
  
Lothiriel had not rested peacefully in days. Every time she attempted to close her eyes in an effort to sleep, her hands would trail helplessly to the other side of the bed, where grasping at the air they found nothing where her husband ought to be. This emptiness would bring her gasping from her dreams with a terrible sense of foreboding. So now she stood, swaying from exhaustion on the steps leading up to the Golden Hall. She would stand here many an afternoon, waiting for a herald or a messenger to bring word of her husband and his army.  
  
"You know it has only been six days sister," a sweet voice came from behind the young queen. Lothiriel smiled dryly and nodded to herself.  
  
"Is it really? Oh Eowyn, to me it feels as though an eternity has passed," she said sighing and she sat down wearily on the steps, lessening her fatigue slightly. Eowyn too lowered herself down next to her brother's beloved, only with much more difficulty that the queen had.  
  
"Oh, I will be glad when my child is born," she chuckled. Lothiriel managed a meek grin and she looked at her panting sister-in-law.  
  
"Is it really as awful as you make it out to be?" she asked fondly. Eowyn glowered at her, but a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.  
  
"Sister it is as though I am continuously burdened with a half suit of armour. My back is aching from trying to keep upright. If only I could lie down on my front all day and be done with it," she grumbled. Lothiriel laughed out loud as she pictured the beautiful wife of Faramir splayed out on her front, balancing on her large bump.  
  
"Oh well," she said cheerfully. " Not long now. You must be getting excited?" Eowyn smiled, but it was a smile tainted with an indescribable sadness.  
  
"Yes in many ways," she replied. "But I do wish that my first child could be born in the home my dear husband and I have wrought. The heir to Ithilien ought really to be born in Ithilien think you not?" Lothiriel nodded in agreement. "But it seems that that will not come to pass. Even if our husbands conquer the foul people tomorrow, I do not think I could make the long journey back to Henneth Annun ere this child is born."  
  
"It is not all bad sister. Perhaps selfishly, I am glad that I will be able to meet my nephew or niece as soon as they are born," Lothiriel said and she rubbed her friend's shoulder. "It will be all right Eowyn, he will be here to see his first child born." Eowyn looked at her in surprise, but it was not so strange that her close friend could read what was really troubling her. She instead nodded and looked out over the plains that surrounded Edoras. Frowning she heaved herself back onto her feet. Lothiriel followed her gaze and moments later she too had jumped to her feet.  
  
They rushed down to the bottom of the stairs. Across the plains the rider was approaching with lightening speed. As soon as he came near enough to make out the small passenger he bore the two women looked to each other eagerly.  
  
"They found her," Lothiriel exclaimed in an amazed way. Soon Amling had passed through the gates and ridden up the streets of Edoras to the two ladies, where he bowed his head to them.  
  
"I come bearing news of the King my lady," he said addressing Lothiriel. " He remains to lead the Rohirrim against the foul people." Lothiriel nodded gravely, this at least she had anticipated. "He requested that I bear this child to safety and to ask you to teach her of her heritage." Once more Mayda did not notice the significant look that passed between Eowyn and Lothiriel.  
  
"Thank you for bringing her safely to Edoras Amling," Eowyn said looking on the child gravely. Seeing her brought back many memories of her dear cousin, they brought tears to her eyes. She bit the inside of her mouth, which was all she could do to stop herself from looking away. Amling bowed his head once more and he jumped down, before reaching up and helping his young charge down. She clung nervously to him, refusing to let him go. Lothiriel saw this in an instant.  
  
"Do not be afraid my child," she said soothingly and she crouched down to look the girl in the eye. 'What a precious little thing,' she thought to herself keenly. "My name is Lothiriel, I am the wife of Éomer. Won't you take my hand and let me welcome you to the Riddermark?" With this she held out a slender hand and watched while the little girl contemplated her proposal from behind her mask of dirt and blood. Eventually her question was answered as a much smaller grubbier hand reached out and grasped Lothiriel's with desperation. As Mayda let go of her companion she turned and bowed her head to the tall rider.  
  
"Thank you," she whispered. He bowed his head also, wondering why this child was so important to the King that he would travel across the land to find her and bring her to safety. With this he took his leave, intending on resting a mere few hours and changing steeds before riding out to find his King and the Rohirrim.  
  
Lothiriel led the timid child into the grand hall and allowed her a moment to stare in wonder at the grand surroundings before leading her away down one of the corridors. Eowyn followed at a distance watching the little girl intently. Not a part of her doubted that she was the child they had sought. Her eyes gave her away. Surprisingly Eowyn could not approach, it pained her too much. She had been close to her cousin and thought of him as much of a brother as Éomer was to her.  
  
Lothiriel led the girl to the room she had prepared for her. It was only three doors down from the royal chambers and had a lovely outlook. When the child laid eyes on the luxuries she had once known in her home tears welled up in her eyes, but she staved them ere they could fall and turned to face the kind woman. She decided that she liked Lothiriel, though she feared Eowyn. 'She doesn't like me,' Mayda thought sadly when she caught Eowyn hovering at the door and giving her an unreadable look.  
  
"Do you think you could be comfortable here Théodwyn?" Lothiriel asked. Mayda nodded and laughed once more.  
  
"Mamma and papa used to call me Mayda," she explained. " I think maybe papa called me Théodwyn once when I had been wicked, though I didn't remember this until my uncle told me of my name..." At the door Eowyn let out a muffled anguished noise and rushed away. Mayda looked on Lothiriel tearfully. "She doesn't like me," she stated unhappily. Lothiriel quickly rushed to her side and wrapped and arm around the child's filthy shoulders.  
  
"She misses your father," she said quickly. "They were very close once and I feel she still has not come to terms with the manner in which he was taken from us." At this Mayda looked oddly curious.  
  
"Tell me," she said. Lothiriel backed away slightly. It wasn't really her place to explain everything to this child. "Mamma only ever told me he had died, she never told me how." Lothiriel still looked anxious. " I would really like to know." The child's face was set with not a glimmer of remorse. Mayda it would seem, unlike Eowyn, had come to terms with her father's death long ago.  
  
"Very well," Lothiriel said and she looked in one of the cupboards for a towel. "I will tell you everything, though I would rather you bathed before I take you round Meduseld," she explained calmly and she led the child through to the small bathroom that accompanied the room. The sight of the bath made Mayda look wistful.  
  
"I haven't had a bath since..." She fell silent and gladly took the towel from Lothiriel.  
  
"I will wait outside and find something for you to wear," Lothiriel said and she closed the door behind her. Instantly she rushed to find her sister in law, which was made easy by the fact that Eowyn had only managed to take a few paces before crouching down to stifle her sobs.  
  
"Oh dear sister," Lothiriel cooed and she put her arms around Eowyn's shoulder. "I am sorry, I did not know how hard you would find all this." Eowyn shook her head and wiped her tears on her sleeve.  
  
"Nor did I, but she is so much like him Lothiriel! So much!" she cried and she got to her feet. "I had not expected it. If you do not mind I will return to my chambers. I must rest," she said sheepishly. Lothiriel nodded and led the way, helping the pregnant lady to a daybed in her chamber.  
  
"I am going to tell her everything," Lothiriel stated as she helped Eowyn get comfortable. Eowyn looked resigned, but eventually nodded. " She wants to know everything right away, and I cannot keep it from her. From what Amling told us, it would seem my lord wishes us to tell her of her position and the choice she now holds." Both women looked anxious for a moment before Lothiriel backed away to the door. " Rest well sister," Lothiriel said softly before heading back to Mayda's chambers. Once here she looked back into the cupboard and found a simple dress that looked like it would fit the girl.  
  
She walked over to the door and heard lots of splashes. A smile crept onto her face, evidently the little girl was enjoying this bath, so she left her to it and ambled along the corridor, looking at all the grand paintings. She came upon a portrait of Théodred and instantly she knew how to explain how he had passed to the girl. She waited a few more moments before she heard a door creak open, and turning around her eyes fell on a much more presentable young lady. Though the mass of tangles that lay below her shoulders needed to be cut. It would seem the girl knew it as she fumbled with the ends of a braid and hung her head slightly.  
  
"Come on, let us get it over with," Lothiriel said fondly and she led the child back into the room. Within half an hour Lothiriel had cut off the offending tangles, leaving the girl with an extremely reasonable length of hair falling well below her shoulders. She worked some of it into two braids custom of the Rohirrim and finally they were done and ready for the tour that Lothiriel had in mind.  
  
"Where are we going?" Mayda asked as Lothiriel led her through the breezy corridors.  
  
"You will see shortly," Lothiriel explained. Within moments they had reached the door she sought and she led the girl inside the only library of Edoras. It was grand for the Rohirrim, and its centrepiece was a large mural that had been painted pride of place directly across from the door in the circular chamber. Lothiriel led a silenced Mayda to it and she knew it did not need explaining.  
  
It depicted Théodred's valiant defeat. Mayda took in every detail, and she nodded to herself.  
  
"I knew he died in battle," she said softly. "I just knew it. He was too strong to be killed any other way! He was the best." Lothiriel smiled wanly and crouched down at Mayda's side.  
  
"There is something else that you must know Mayda, and I am rather surprised that you do not know it already," she said. Her words tore Mayda's gaze away from her father's mural and she looked questioningly to Lothiriel. "Did you not know who your father was to Rohan?" Mayda tilted her head to one side and nodded.  
  
"Yes, he was a prince," she said obviously. Lothiriel smiled once more and shook her head.  
  
"He was more than that Mayda, he was going to be King," she said softly. Mayda's eyes went wide and she stepped back.  
  
"King?" she uttered. Lothiriel nodded.  
  
"He was the son of the late King Théoden, my husband's uncle," Lothiriel carried on. "And he did not have any brothers or sisters. When Théodred died his father was distraught, he had come to what he believed was the end of his line." Mayda took another step backwards, already figuring out what Lothiriel was trying to tell her. "And when Théoden was taken in the great battle of the Pelennor fields, the Kingship passed to Éomer as there was none other from Théoden's line."  
  
"But there was me," Mayda croaked, her voice seemingly deserting her. Lothiriel nodded apprehensively and she moved close, only to have the child pull away once more.  
  
"There lies now a choice before you." Mayda shook her head and stepped backwards again, fear and anger crossing her face. "If you would wish it, then you could become a Ruling Queen."  
  
"I don't want to," Mayda exclaimed angrily, hiding a secret fear that Lothiriel could not understand, and she took several steps backwards once more. There was now a great distance between the two. Secretly Lothiriel sighed with relief, but she did not show this on her face.  
  
"That is why you have a choice Mayda, you may choose to reject if you will, and you will live here for the rest of your life if you would like to, as a princess of the Mark," Lothiriel explained and she climbed to her feet approaching the child, who this time, did not back away.  
  
"Then that I will do," Mayda whispered and her anger and fear washed away, to be replaced by a gleeful grin. "So can I have my own horse?" she asked eagerly. Lothiriel laughed out loud and nodded.  
  
"Of course, you may have anything you wish!" With this the pair left the library; Mayda in a state of euphoria and Lothiriel with an overwhelming desire to find out why this young girl was terrified of being granted the rule of Rohan. For now though, everything was working out splendidly.  
  
X X X  
  
More to come soon, not everything is as it seems. 


	3. Chapter 3

The heir of Théodred  
  
Chapter Three  
  
"Théodwyn sit down!" A furious voice echoed through the corridors. " And take off that cloak it reeks of horse."  
  
"Don't call me Théodwyn!" Another voice, equally as angry, followed; the sound carrying all the way to the grand hall where many courtiers stopped to listen.  
  
"I will call you by your royal name as regrettably you are a royal, now sit down and..." A strangled cry sounded, followed by a child's laughter. There was a pause in which everyone waited with a smile to see what the little scoundrel had done next. "That was my only copy of the..." But what it was the young princess had ruined none could tell as seconds later a door flew open and a whirlwind of energy blew past them all heading for the main door out of the Golden Hall.  
  
"Hold it right there." Eyes flew to the other end of the hall once more and they fell on an amused-looking Lothiriel. Behind her the lore master skulked into view with a murderous expression plastered on his ageing face. "Come here and apologise to Master Éorelson." Mayda became the subject of attention once more. She was stood poised to scarper through the open door, eyes narrowed with ferocity at her nemesis, but eventually she stood down and stalked across the hall; those she passed turned on her with fond expressions. The Rohirrim had been shocked to find out that their great king Théoden had had an heir, and were even more shocked when they found out this heir had turned down the rule of Rohan. However, none were disappointed; Éomer was turning out to be as great as his uncle and all were happy with his reign.  
  
In the two weeks that the seven-year-old had been living in Edoras she had built up quite a reputation for herself. After washing away the mud, and coaxing away the timidity, the innocent sweet girl had turned into a veritable rascal. A rascal that was loved by almost all nonetheless and she loved her new life and everyone in it, save the lore master who she was convinced had a personal vendetta against her and was out to make her life miserable. Little did she know, he felt exactly the same about her. The young girl did not like to be cooped up indoors learning of the history of Rohan and would do anything to get out of her lessons. As on this occasion, the little scoundrel had 'accidentally' knocked a torch onto his desk.  
  
As the child reached her aunt her expression begged to be let off, but the young queen was having none of it and she shook her head firmly. So Mayda turned on Master Éorelson and bowed her head slightly.  
  
"I'm sorry for burning your scrolls," she uttered bitterly. Several chuckled around the room, making Master Éorelson even more outraged. Eventually the lore master glared at her furiously before stalking off. Mayda stuck her tongue out after him and turned to skip off to freedom.  
  
"Not so fast you," Lothiriel said fondly and she took her niece's hand and led her away, hoping that the child would ignore the cheers that followed them. Mayda however, did not possess any sense of modesty and she turned and bowed to the delighted courtiers. They cheered even louder as Lothiriel ushered her from the Golden Hall. "Well," she eventually exclaimed, though she could not hide her amusement.  
  
"I don't like him!" Mayda hissed angrily kicking at a piece of thatching sending it flying across the valley aided by the strong wind that was battering the village.  
  
"Well I dare say my darling that he feels the same way," Lothiriel said. Mayda sighed and shook her head.  
  
"Why do I need to be taught by him? I mean can't I just sit in the library and read when it rains or something like that?" she asked pleadingly. She loved the library, perhaps it was being in the presence of the next best thing to her father: a life-size painting of him. Often she could spend entire days immersed in books or journals left behind by Théodred when the weather was foul. It would seem that her father had been quite the writer, and had secretly kept a journal of some form or other since he was a young teenager. Mayda loved to read them. It was in fact from the ones from his youth that she gained ideas for her practical jokes. They were evidently of like mind.  
  
"You can't learn everything from scrolls," Lothiriel admonished gently.  
  
"Well then why must I learn from him? He is terrible auntie Lothiriel! He wouldn't know fun even if the essence of all things funny walked up to him and...and...tickled him!" the child stated firmly, and within seconds a smile pulled at her lips.  
  
'Obviously picturing it,' Lothiriel laughed inwardly.  
  
"There is no other Scholar in Edoras right now Mayda," she explained. " They have all fled to Minas Tirith to educate themselves further." Mayda shrugged her shoulders meekly.  
  
"Scholars are boring. Mamma took me to Minas Tirith once and we met several of these scholars," she told her aunt and she shuddered at the memory. "I have never been so bored in my life...save from when I am in Master stupidson's lessons. The people know more tales and stories than him aunt. Old lady Anhild tells me exciting stories all the time, and she makes even the boring parts fun to listen to." Lothiriel smiled even broader. Old lady Anhild was a fabled storyteller across the all of Rohan, it was not surprising that the little mischief-maker that was Mayda had found her way to the reputable old woman, who lived in a tiny hamlet several miles from Edoras.  
  
Mayda had travelled all around once she learnt how to ride well enough to be on her way. Often Lothiriel had to send out several guards to fetch her once the sun was starting to set and she was not back for her dinner yet. Often she would head east and lookout for the return of the King and the Rohirrim. Mayda was desperately awaiting Éomer's return, almost as much as Lothiriel was. Together they would sit on the steps of the Golden hall, once the sun had gone down, waiting in silence for the sound of hooves, but as yet, they hadn't come.  
  
"Either way darling, you must learn to stop vexing the lore master, or I will be forced to tell the stable-master to not let you venture out anymore," Lothiriel said and Mayda looked aghast.  
  
"But auntie..." She stopped and looked incredibly humbled as footsteps approached from behind them. That could only mean one thing; there was only one person who had that affect on the girl.  
  
"Eowyn," Lothiriel cheered before she had even caught sight of the now extremely heavily pregnant lady of Ithilien. Eowyn had a fake-smile on her face as she approached the two, though secretly she was wishing that she too could have a close bond with her cousin's child. Eowyn was very fond of Mayda, though she found it extremely difficult to express this. She had to rely on Lothiriel conveying her message for her, though Mayda did not believe a word she said. The child was convinced her rescuer's sister hated her, and it grieved her more than she could explain. For she had heard of Eowyn's deeds during the battle of the Pelennor fields, and she admired her more than she could put into words.  
  
"Good morning," Eowyn exclaimed and she joined them on the windy steps. " Have you also come to see what rider approaches?" Mayda and Lothiriel looked to each other inquisitively before turning back to the plains. There was indeed a rider approaching with haste. The three of them made their way to the bottom of steps as the rider entered Edoras and made his way up to the Golden Hall. As he rode close enough to make out his features Mayda let out a gasp and she stumbled backwards and fell on the step. Lothiriel looked to her in surprise and helped her up as the rider dismounted and made his way to the ladies. He bowed and then turned on Mayda with an enchanting smile.  
  
"Hello dear Mayda!" he said with affection. Mayda gulped and tried to step backwards once more, but Lothiriel was blocking her passage.  
  
"Pardon me for asking, but who are you?" Eowyn asked, there was something about this rider that she did not trust, and judging from her niece's reaction to him, it was no unfounded. The rider straightened up and held his hand to his chest.  
  
"I am Maydir, the brother of Mayda's poor departed mother." He hung his head and his face crumpled with distress for a moment, before he regained his composure and looked up again. "I was shocked to find upon returning to my home that my niece had been taken. I was not consulted by any on this and as her guardian I am outraged!" Mayda gave a shudder next to Lothiriel and she backed up into her aunt. Eowyn glanced at her trying to gain insight into what she was feeling.  
  
" Where were you when the village was under siege?" Eowyn asked suspiciously. "She was left defenceless!" The rider looked threatened by Eowyn's questioning.  
  
"I was helping to fight back the foul folk," he snapped. " Now I demand that you release my niece into my custody and we shall be on our way." Mayda shook her head and looked up to Eowyn desperately.  
  
"It would seem that she does not wish to go with you," she stated and she moved to stand between the child and this rider. "Nor can we allow it, she is a princess of the Mark and as my cousin under my custody until my brother returns."  
  
"I am aware of who she is and who that father of hers was," Maydir complained.  
  
"Don't talk about him like that!" Mayda suddenly uttered angrily. Maydir bowed his head slightly.  
  
"I'm sorry my child," he said and then he turned on Eowyn. " But you cannot deny a man his only family. I love this girl as if she were my own." Lothiriel stepped forward now and looked on Eowyn with questioning eyes. As regent the decision was hers and she could not think what her dear husband would do in a situation like this.  
  
"We cannot just send him away," she said meekly. Eowyn looked to Maydir once more before nodding. Lothiriel nodded too and then stepped forward to the rider.  
  
"Well then you must stay until my husband returns and you can take this matter up with him," she said. Maydir bowed gracefully once more.  
  
"I thank you for your kindness my lady," he said and he turned on his horse. "Mayda, will you not help your uncle with his things?" he asked turning on the timid child. She shuddered slightly before nodding and pulling herself away from the safety of her aunts. As she drew level with Maydir he put his hand around her shoulders, and she looked up into the eyes she had thought she would never have to look into again. As they walked away Maydir dared to tighten his grip.  
  
"A word from you girl and you will wish you had never been born," he hissed and Mayda felt old tears stinging at her eyes and old wounds screaming in pain. How had she ended back here?  
  
X X X 


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you so much for the reviews, I love getting them.  
  
Cilmesse, good advice and after thinking about it you are of course right. I can't leave a big plot hole like that, so I hope this chapter solves the problem.  
  
XxMoJo88xX – AU means Alternative Universe, basically means that what I write strays from canon (what Tolkien wrote)  
  
lady scribe of avandell – Thanks for that, I had no idea, I always though the fourth age started at Aragorn's coronation. I've done a lot of reading around, but had never come across that.  
  
The heir of Théodred  
  
Chapter Four  
  
Éomer and Faramir stood atop the outcrop feeling triumphant, and they had cause to do so. It had taken a month, but they had managed to drive many of the foul folk away and had diminished their numbers by at least half. The situation was no longer dire and they were beginning to think that perhaps now would be time to take a short break from the front and visit those dear to them in Edoras. Faramir particularly was feeling anxious to get back to his precious wife's side. Their child was due any day now.  
  
"It has been a glorious victory," Éomer uttered as they watched over the villagers trying to piece together their fallen homes.  
  
"Thanks to you we have saved many lives," Faramir added feeling slightly ashamed. It grieved him that he had to ask for aid the first time his princedom came under siege.  
  
"Do not belittle your own deeds so readily brother," Éomer chided and the two men exchanged a smile ripe with friendship. They sat down on one of the jagged rocks and enjoyed the warmth the setting sun was basking them in. " We should return to Edoras, if not for a few weeks." Faramir nodded ardently.  
  
"I cannot miss it Éomer," he exclaimed suddenly sounding fearful. Éomer nodded and clapped a hand on his brother in law's shoulder.  
  
"And you won't," he said firmly. "I will not allow it. And also..." The king of the Mark looked quite bashful for a moment. "My sister would never forgive me if I kept her husband from her on such a momentous occasion." Faramir started to chuckle. "Oh do not jest, have you ever been on the receiving end of a horsewhip with her at the handle?" Faramir laughed out loud as Éomer rubbed his arm, apparently remembering just such an occasion.  
  
"I can imagine that would be quite unpleasant," Faramir managed and his face turned wistful once more. "You too seem keen to return," he remarked. Éomer smiled weakly and shrugged his armour-clad shoulders. "Though I feel it is not merely to return to your lovely wife?"  
  
"It is true that I am of course eager to return to Lothiriel, I still find it strange to wake up next to such a beautiful, kind woman and know that she is mine," Éomer explained and his eyes shone with affection for his new wife. "But you are right in your guess. I am so...I do not even know the word. It is a strange emotion, a mixture of worry, excitement and sorrow." Faramir nodded and recalled the look on Éomer's face after he had read the mysterious letter addressed to Théodred. "I know that Lothiriel has told me in her letter that she has declined the throne, but what if she changes her mind. What if she assents?" Faramir did not have the answers.  
  
"There is one thing I do not understand," he said sounding thoughtful. Éomer looked on him questioningly, bidding him continue wordlessly. " Well I did not know that Rohan could be under the reign of a Ruling Queen, I have not heard of this before." Éomer grinned and shook his head.  
  
"Ah, there my friend, is one thing all your posh libraries and your scholars cannot tell you," he said almost cheerfully. Faramir gave him a tired look and nodded.  
  
"That still does not answer my question, and if you are going to refer to an old wives tale or a story you have written on a scrap of parchment in that..." He coughed. "Library of yours then I do not feel humbled for not knowing it." Éomer grinned once more and nodded.  
  
"Not a scrap, a scroll my friend, a scroll!" Faramir returned his boyish grin and nodded.  
  
"Close enough brother, but prey, continue."  
  
"It tells of Helm Hammerhand's worries prior to the war with the Dunlendings," Éomer explained. " In this time his cousin Déored was beginning to spread word that he was eager to ascend to the throne should Helm and his sons fall in battle. Helm could not have this as Déored was not a very trustworthy character, and as his only sibling Hild had bore no children yet as she did not wed till late there was no other suitable heir. So what could King Helm do?" Faramir listened intently; he had never heard this tale before.  
  
"He change the law?" he asked eagerly.  
  
"That he did, he changed the laws of succession enabling Hild to succeed as Ruling Queen should he and his sons fall in war. Well as you know those unfortunate times were indeed his and he saw his house fall," Éomer said grimly, remembering his uncle's plight. "Hild became the Ruling Queen of the Riddermark, though she did not hold it long as she died in childbirth to her only child and son Fréaláf, who is well known for starting the second line of King's that I am a descendent from. Not many know that our laws state a Ruling Queen must be instated ere one can look to different alternatives."  
  
"There has been only one? This Queen Hild was the first and last?" Faramir asked. Éomer nodded grimly, hoping that this still remained so. Faramir had no more questions and inwardly he was feeling slightly disgruntled that he did not know this historic tale.  
  
"Come friend, we must turn to our attention to our captains. If we are to take a break from the front, they must be informed and ready to lead in our stead," Éomer said shaking off his gloomy reverie. Faramir nodded eagerly, thinking that perhaps he might soon see his glorious wife once more and daring to hope that perhaps he might see his first child born into this world.  
  
X X X  
  
"Mayda?" Lothiriel called out. Mayda lifted her face from the cold floorboards and listened out to her aunt's calls. "Mayda where are you?" The door creaked open and the small girl pushed herself even further into the gloom. "Are you in here darling?" Wanting to respond and reveal her hiding place, Mayda covered her mouth with her hand and fought away a torrent of tears. It seemed hard now to believe that she had been perfectly happy for two weeks.  
  
Lothiriel upon seeing the empty room returned to the corridor and shook her head sadly. Eowyn sighed exasperatedly and managed to amble along the corridor, her hand firmly placed on her swollen belly.  
  
"I am worried sister, I do not trust that uncle of hers, if indeed he is her uncle, he has not yet proven to us that his claim is in fact true," Eowyn grumbled.  
  
"Come now Eowyn, Mayda has not given us any reason to doubt what he says," Lothiriel countered worriedly. Eowyn closed her eyes and shook her head, pausing to lean against a statue.  
  
"Nor has she given us any reason to trust him!" she complained. " She has changed my friend, reverted back into the timid fragile little thing that she was when she first arrived. Even more so than when she first arrived. She doesn't even ride anymore!" Lothiriel nodded and shook her head.  
  
"Perhaps our niece is suffering from a similar heart ache that you now feel Eowyn," she suggested. "Perhaps upon seeing her uncle she is reminded of her mother, as she reminds you of Théodred." Eowyn sighed dejectedly and nodded.  
  
"Perhaps you are right, but I do miss that mischievous little scamp we had the pleasure of knowing so briefly," she uttered sadly and she gave Lothiriel a significant look. "She's even started paying attention in her lessons!" Lothiriel laughed out loud and nodded.  
  
"Well sister, perhaps that is a good thing," she chuckled, but her mirth was cut short by heavy footsteps sounding from round the corner. Within moments Maydir had come into view and he was looking more cheerful than he had yet appeared to the ladies.  
  
"Good morning my ladies," he cheered and he bowed his head to them. " Is my dear niece about?" Both shook their heads.  
  
"I have sought her for over an hour, she may be off exploring," Lothiriel explained. Maydir smiled in a rogue-like manner and nodded.  
  
"Yes she does rather take to exploring doesn't she? Well I must be off, I bid you have a pleasant day my lady," he said bowing once more to Lothiriel before heading off whistling a merry tune.  
  
"You cannot slate him on his behaviour sister, by all appearances he is very much fond of his niece," Lothiriel remarked as she led Eowyn in the direction of her chamber. "And when I have seen them together she appears to return his affections."  
  
"And yet I do not trust him..."  
  
X X X  
  
The door creaked open once more and Mayda caught sight of a heavy pair of boots. She cowered slightly and pulled herself right back into the wall. Her skin crept as though thousands of invisible spiders were crawling all over her, yet her back felt surprisingly tight as many old wounds were yet not totally healed.  
  
"I know you're in here," a low raspy voice hissed. The boots paced the length of the room before finally stopping at the side of the bed. It was a sight Mayda had seen many times as she hit under various objects to get away from this man who ought to love her as a niece, yet instead cast her out of her own home to fend for herself and take up house in a garden shed.  
  
The disowned brother of Maydithil, Maydir had been a frightful fellow in his youth and the once great Gondorian Lord Maydan could not bear to have such a deceitful and terrible son. So Maydir was disowned and forced to stay away. He did not dare come close when Maydithil remained the head of the house as she could call to her aid all in the village if he came near, but when the village was pillaged by orcs and his sister slain the shrewd Maydir returned to the estate to find his niece alone and grieving. He cared not and cast her aside inviting all manner of riffraff to the grand estate. Needless to say the child had to fend for herself and she was often called on by her cruel uncle to cook and attempt to clean the house. Being but a young child she could not do these things and was often beaten for her troubles. Her back was forever marred by the wrath of Maydir and his companions.  
  
He had not dared lay a hand on her since coming to Meduseld, though she was well aware of what he was capable of and thus agreed to keep his sordid past a secret and to pretend they were close. Mayda longed for Éomer's return even more passionately, believing all her problems to dissolve when he returned.  
  
"Get out, I know you're under there!" The bed shook as Maydir's boot connected one of the legs. Mayda bit her lip and wiped angrily at her eyes, before crawling out and getting to her feet. "That's better, now go and act normal. Go and play outside or something. That Eowyn woman doesn't trust me, I heard her!" He waved his finger around ludicrously, pointing accusingly at the door. It would seem he was also starting to lose his wits.  
  
"But it's raining," Mayda whispered. "I never go out in the rain."  
  
"Well you will today, now get going!" Maydir ordered and he took hold of the collar of her cloak and pushed her out into the corridor. The child didn't need telling twice and she ran off and finding a back door she jumped out into the drizzle. She crept down to the town wall and made her way to the entrance to Edoras. There were not many around as everyone was sheltering from the vile weather, so she was not hindered. Soon she was out in the wild and it stilled her heart. The walls had become awfully binding since the arrival of Maydir and she loved to take a few moments to escape.  
  
She looked over to the small little hillocks and tears welled up in her eyes. Grasping her cloak around herself to fend off the wind she ran over to her father's grave and threw herself down on the howe.  
  
"Papa," she cried into the grass and she ran her fingers over the weather- beaten simbelmynë flowers that covered the hillock. "Why did you have to die?" she yelled into the roaring winds. Of course, no answer came and she cried away her anguish. Though her pain was lost on the feverish winds that carried it to far away places where none knew her name.  
  
She stayed like this for many hours, until at last the weather started to relinquish its hold on the village. Mayda rolled onto her back and looked up at the patchy clouds and tried to catch the rays of sunlight that kept sneaking out from behind the grey to bask the sodden child with warmth. This is how she lay when she heard the horn call.  
  
Sitting up she looked around to see if she had imagined it, but no, many others were coming to look too and then, on the horizon Mayda's eyes fell upon a sight that could have brought tears once more to her face, but not tears of sorrow and pain, tears of joy.  
  
"Uncle Éomer is returning!" she cried gleefully and she started to run towards the oncoming éored. Once she had reached a small outcrop she stopped and watched as the company of horses approached bearing the colours of Rohan. A horn-call sounded once more and she jumped up and down, giddy with anticipation. Within moments the riders were nearly upon her and they turned to the south of the small hill to get a better approach into the village. Once all had passed the child she started sprinting after them.  
  
X X X  
  
Lothiriel had only just about managed to help her sister in law to the doors of the Golden Hall when her eyes fell upon her beloved husband making his way up the steps to their home, accompanied by dear Faramir. She could not hold back anymore and she ran forward, throwing her arms around his neck, breathing in the familiar sent of his hair.  
  
"My darling you have returned," she whispered fondly as she felt him kiss the side of her head. He pulled back and stroked her cheek, his eyes revealing what a hundred words could not. He embraced his wife once more until his eyes fell on his large sister.  
  
"And not a moment too soon it would seem," he said sounding relieved.  
  
The joy at seeing his wife still heavily pregnant was too much for Faramir and he ran forward stopping inches away from his dear Eowyn. He dared not touch her, lest he should harm their child. Eowyn though had more faith in the resilience of their baby and she pulled her sorely missed husband into a strong embrace.  
  
"Thank you," Faramir whispered. Eowyn grasped him tighter.  
  
"For what?" she laughed through tears of joy. Faramir pulled back and placed both hands on her swollen bump. He looked up at her with a child's wonder in his eyes.  
  
"For waiting!"  
  
Éomer looked around himself curiously. Where was this rascal his wife had told him about in her letter? Lothiriel guessed what he sought and she too wondered at where Mayda could have got too. Surely she could not have missed the horn calls, nor the sound of the steeds returning.  
  
"Uncle Éomer!" a small voice cried. Éomer turned around trying to locate its owner, but to no avail. He thought his ears to be deceiving him when he heard the cry once more, this time though it came accompanied by several of the riders jostling out of the way. Éomer approached the commotion when all of a sudden a drenched little thing came pelting out of the centre of the éored directly into his arms. From the side a pair of eyes narrowed in anger and Maydir stalked away.  
  
"Mayda? Why are you drenched?" Éomer asked the child that hung onto him and he tried to pry her off to get a better look at him, but she would not relinquish him so easily. Lothiriel too approached and felt the child's soaking garments.  
  
"But my darling have you been out in the storm?" she asked sounding aghast. "Why would you do such a thing?" But Mayda did not answer her and she clung onto Éomer as though he might disappear into thin air, leaving the King of Rohan utterly perplexed.  
  
X X X 


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you once more for the kind and helpful reviews :) You're inspiring me to churn out chapter after chapter quicker than I have before, so I hope you enjoy, I'm enjoying writing it!  
  
The heir of Théodred  
  
Chapter Five  
  
Éomer stared at the sleeping form of his niece and for the hundredth time that evening he pondered at all Lothiriel had told him. It had taken the child the greater part of an hour to release her uncle fully, and even once she had done so she still remained at his side. In the presence of her idol the child reverted momentarily to her old free-spirited self and she told him all about her adventures and her plans, though when asked she would not say why she had been down by the howes in the middle of a storm. Though as soon as she had stepped not ten paces from him she grew timid and watchful, something that pained Éomer to see.  
  
The king of the Mark could not understand it. He caught glimmers and glimpses of the girl Lothiriel had described and yet for the most part he saw the shy little creature he had rescued from the clutches of the foul folk. It grieved Éomer to see her afraid in his home, as he had hoped that by now she would feel as though it were her home as well.  
  
By sundown Mayda started feeling weak as the effects of lying in the rain and the cold all morning were catching up with her. Lothiriel had bustled her along to bed, feeding her a drought native to Dol Amroth and had returned assuring her dear husband that the little girl was going to feel better in the morning. Éomer though wanted to see for himself and had followed Lothiriel to her side.  
  
"She looks frightened," he finally whispered and he uncrossed his arms taking a few tentative steps towards the girl. "I don't want her to be afraid! What has happened to her my dearest?" Lothiriel shook her head gravely.  
  
"Not two weeks ago a rider from Gondor came seeking Mayda," she explained softly, watching as the girl fitted in her sleep. " He named himself as Maydir, Mayda's uncle and guardian. He demanded she be released into his custody, which of course I could not allow." Éomer was staring at her intently. "So I invited him to remain as a guest of the Mark until you returned and could address the matter further with him."  
  
"Why have I not met this rider yet?" Éomer asked, his brow furrowed into a suspicious frown. "Surely a guest of the Mark would come and greet the King on his return?" Lothiriel nodded.  
  
"He is an odd character my darling," she said sadly. " Your sister does not trust him, as dear Mayda acted very strangely when he first arrived. She seemed almost afraid of him, yet now she is at ease with the man." Éomer's frown grew firmer and he looked away, wishing dearly that he could meet this man. "Though since his arrival she has grown timid once more." Éomer muttered something under his breath, but what it was Lothiriel could not know as Mayda stirred and opened her eyes. Catching sight of the two people Mayda felt most affection for her face cracked into a smile and she coughed slightly at the effort of trying to speak.  
  
"Hush my darling, wait until the morning," Lothiriel cooed gently, stroking the girl's damp hair from her forehead. " Your fever is waning, that in itself is a small blessing." As Lothiriel held a damp cloth to her niece's head and chest Mayda reached out with outstretched fingers to Éomer. He smiled charmingly and walked round the other side of the bed. As he sat down Mayda's small fingers entwined round his and she closed her eyes feeling safer than she had felt in a long time.  
  
As her breathing turned slow and rhythmical once more Éomer turned on his beloved wife with a truly happy smiled, before turning back in wonder to look at the small fingers wrapped around his. Lothiriel laughed and the sound was as music to Éomer's ears.  
  
"My lord," she said fondly and she reached out to stroke his brow. " You act as though you have never seen a child before." Éomer smiled sheepishly and looked once more into those enchanting eyes.  
  
"It is remarkable how much I care for her already," he said sounding amazed at the words coming out of his mouth. "I know nothing about her, yet I know that no child of Théodred could be anything other than wonderful," he added thinking of his departed cousin. Lothiriel nodded in understanding. She too had been amazed by how easily she grew to love this girl as though she were her own. "I feel as though I am giving something back by keeping her," he uttered, mainly to himself, as his thoughts strayed to his first few days in Meduseld. In those frightful times he had been overcome by trying to console a heart broken Eowyn, and yet trying to find solace for himself too. Théodred, already several years older had taken the young Éomer under his wing, and through his kindness had fought away the nightmares and the uncertainties that plagued the child. Finally it would seem, Éomer was getting the chance to repay his cousin's kindness.  
  
This precious moment could have carried on as both Lothiriel and Éomer were more than content to remain close together watching over their charge. However, moments after Éomer had fallen silent a scream rang through the corridors. Lothiriel and Éomer looked at each other in surprise, instantly recognising the culprit.  
  
"I knew we rode through the night for good reason," Éomer said jubilantly and he carefully pried Mayda's clammy fingers from his and kissed her hand goodnight. Lothiriel tucked the girl in before the couple rushed out following Eowyn's cries. They found her in her chambers with an anxious Faramir hovering by the side of the bed. The elderly midwife was sat by Eowyn's side talking to her softly. Lothiriel ran to join them.  
  
"When did you start to feel the pain sister?" she asked taking Eowyn's hand and stroking it soothingly. Eowyn rubbed her bump and relaxed, the pain of the contraction was gone.  
  
"Not six hours ago," she replied. "The pain was mild, I did not want to disrupt the celebrations, but it has been growing and closer together." The midwife clucked in a motherly fashion and started to concoct a draught that might ease the pain.  
  
"There is still a long wait," she told Faramir who looked as though he wanted to burst into tears and laughter all at once. Then she turned back to the mother-to-be with a fond smile. "This is your first is it not?" Eowyn nodded tiredly. "Try and sleep my dear, you will need your energy when the time comes." Lothiriel nodded ardently and both she and the midwife went about trying to get the Lady of Ithilien comfortable. Éomer went to join his brother in law.  
  
"Come brother, let us go and toast this fine evening, you are to be a father!" he said joyously. Faramir nodded feeling slightly shell-shocked and he looked to his wife for approval. He would not dare leave her if she so much as uttered the slightest noise of reprove. Upon seeing his expression Eowyn laughed.  
  
"My dearest," she smiled fondly. "I must rest, you must go and enjoy this fine evening," she said. Faramir nodded gratefully and Lothiriel got to her feet so as the Prince of Ithilien might sit down. He took Eowyn's hand and leaned close to kiss her brow.  
  
"I will be close," he whispered. "If you need anything, I will be here within an instant." Eowyn nodded and she winced as the ripples of another contraction announced the arrival of another gut-wrenching pain. She cried out and gripped Faramir's hand so tightly that once she had released him a minute or so later he could have sworn his fingers were about to fall off. Within no time Éomer though had whisked him away to the great hall where many were celebrating the return of some of the riders. With two pints of ale in hand they made their way to a quiet corner of the hall, if there could be such a thing, and drank to Eowyn.  
  
"I cannot believe how much fortune has smiled on me this night," Faramir finally exclaimed and he breathed a sigh of relief he had been holding in for over a month.  
  
"Well then here is to lady fortune, and what a strange creature she is," Éomer cheered raising his mug. Faramir grinned boyishly and knocked his mug with his brother in law's before taking another swig.  
  
"So tell me, are you yet inspired to have children?" Faramir asked. Éomer chuckled and shook his head.  
  
"Please my friend, I am not even married a season and already you see me up to my knees in children!" he laughed happily. " No, we shall wait a while," he added sensibly.  
  
"Do not slight it dear brother," Faramir laughed. " You are already the whole world to one little girl." Éomer grinned and nodded contentedly.  
  
"Well one is enough for now brother, certainly enough!" His thoughts strayed to the sick little thing that was his niece and he smiled. For now, he and Lothiriel would be content to look after Mayda, and pour their love and effort into her. The time for them to have their own child would definitely come, though for now it could wait.  
  
"Here is to family then," Faramir said firmly raising his mug. Éomer smiled broadly and raised his own.  
  
"To family. May they keep us, love us and drive us from our wits!"  
  
X X X  
  
Eowyn's screams were so close together now that Faramir had to restrain himself from bursting in to soothe her, but the birthing had started now and he abided by tradition, allowing the midwife and his sister in law to look after his wife. Éomer leaned against the wall feeling slightly intoxicated, but the constant screaming kept him from keeling over. Dawn had long passed and it was now well into the morning. Having not slept in days, and under the influence of several pints of ale, the young King was frankly amazed at Faramir's stamina.  
  
"What is taking so long?" Faramir finally muttered pacing the floor worriedly. Éomer lifted his tired head to respond, but before he could utter his witty reply Eowyn gave one last almighty shriek soon to be followed by the wails of an infant. Both men jumped to the door and waited eagerly to be let in by one of the ladies. It seemed as though an eternity passed before finally the handle turned and Lothiriel let Faramir enter.  
  
Once he had passed the threshold he was by Eowyn's side within moments and after kissing her passionately his eyes fell on the bundle that lay in her arms. A very pink and tiny infant lay swathed in towels, crying out for consolation. Faramir reached down and stroked the baby's hand, which instantly grasped his finger. Tears sparkled in the new father's eyes as he looked on his wife once more.  
  
"Is it...?" Eowyn smiled tiredly and nodded.  
  
"You have a son my lord," she whispered. Faramir kissed her once more and looked down on the infant boy...his son and he instantly knew he had never felt love like this before. It was so profound, that it took him rather by surprise and he let a few tears fall.  
  
"Hello Elboron," he said softly as the baby stopped crying and cracked open his tired eyelids. The baby blinked several times before looking up at his parents with Eowyn's dazzling blue eyes.  
  
"Our son," the new mother cried and she brought her baby close to her breast and finally felt as though the weariness that had grown in her heart during her hardships was washing away...she was complete.  
  
X X X 


	6. Chapter 6

Thank you so much for the reviews. Haldir's Heart and Soul – thank you so much for reviewing every chapter :)  
  
Lady scribe of avandell – Thanks for pointing those out, it was so late when I was typing that last chapter that I hurried it. I've gone back and corrected the errors now.  
  
The heir of Théodred  
  
Chapter Six  
  
As Mayda woke from her sickly stupor the sun had long risen and the tips of her toes were basked in the warmth of the sunlight that was creeping through her shutters. She tried to sit up, but was momentarily overcome by dizziness, causing her to fall onto her side.  
  
"Come on Mayda," she muttered to herself and she sat up once more, only this time more slowly, steadying her aching head as she went. Pulling a blanket around her shoulders she jumped down off her bed into her boots before heading out into the eerily silent corridor.  
  
"Hello?" she called wearily. "Is anyone about?" Silence. Frowning, the young girl dragged her feet along the corridor listening out for anything that might imply that everyone hadn't deserted her in the night. Finally as she reached the great hall she heard jubilant voices and she leaned heavily into the door to see who was inside. Seeing only courtiers she turned to leave, but was hailed by some before she could close the door.  
  
"Young Mayda, have you heard?" one she knew rather well called to her. The girl wrapped her blanket tighter around her shoulders before slinking out to greet her friend. She sat down at his table and accepted the bread and ham being pushed across the table to her. As she looked on it she suddenly realised that she was starving.  
  
"Have I heard what?" she asked before greedily tucking into her meal.  
  
"I cannot believe that you have not heard it," the courtier chuckled, earning him a reproving stare from the youngster. " Lady Eowyn has given birth this morning," he announced and at his words a joyous cheer went round the hall. Mayda spluttered on her mouthful and had to gulp down an entire mug of water before her throat was soothed.  
  
"She has her baby?" she asked quickly. "What is it? Is it healthy? Is my aunt fairing well?" The courtiers laughed once more at the young princess. "Oh please kind sir wont you tell me?"  
  
"Very well my lady," the courtier laughed. "Lord Faramir and Lady Eowyn have indeed had their child and I am delighted to inform you that it is a son and entirely healthy. Your aunt fairs very well indeed, though I doubt you will find any awake at this hour. Not four hours have passed since his happy event and I believe all are still asleep," he explained. Mayda nodded in understanding, though she felt the giddiness rising like flutters in her stomach. From this hour to the next she bothered everyone, from the courtiers, to the horse-masters, the villagers, and even the kitchen staff. The young girl was too excited to remain still and eventually one of the villagers, old master Halethson, distracted her with the season's newborn pups. It was enough to still the child and gave the people of Edoras a few moments of peace.  
  
Though many were also glad in their frustration. It had been a long time since any had encountered the joyous young rascal, as she had taken to sheltering away in the Golden Hall. Many suspected that all was not right with the young princess and pondered at the mysterious rider who had come into their midst a fortnight ago. Where Maydir was this fine afternoon, none could say. He had all but vanished, riding out early that morning heading east, leaving only the message that he would return.  
  
Eventually once the sun had started its descent several cheers went up from the great hall. Mayda looked up from her little friends and knew that could mean only one thing. So she leapt to her feet and ran up to the doors of Meduseld. As she burst in she found the way blocked by dozens of people. It took her a while to push through them all, but eventually she reached the front and her eyes fell on her uncle Éomer presenting Eowyn to the court. Wrapped up in a blanket a little baby struggled. Mayda had never been near a baby before. She had been one of the youngest children in her village. She approached the thrones tentatively and rushed to stand beside Lothiriel, who was holding out her hand to the girl. The pair grinned happily to each other and waited until Eowyn had greeted her friends of old before heading back towards her chambers. Once they had passed out of the great hall Faramir took his son tenderly from his wife and looked on him once more with wonder. He exchanged a proud smile with Eowyn before taking Elboron back to the nursery.  
  
Eowyn held back as the others followed Faramir and she placed a hand on Mayda's back to stop her, but taken by surprise Mayda winced. Eowyn furrowed her brow in suspicion, but she said nothing and led her niece in the opposite direction to the one the others had gone. Soon they had reached a long corridor lined with grand and imposing portraits of the long lost kings of old.  
  
"I want to tell you a story Mayda," Eowyn finally said and her tone displayed none of the forced-kindness Mayda was accustomed to. She looked up at her aunt and was greeted with a truly fond smile. " I have spoken with my dear sister and I can not possibly understand why no one has told you this tale before." Eowyn stopped walking and she pointed up at a painting that stood out from the rest. It depicted a scene atop a grand hill and showed two figures standing opposite each other, one with a mighty sword held high.  
  
"I have seen this before my lady," Mayda said softly. " Though I never knew what it meant." Eowyn looked slightly pained for a moment and she crouched down with difficulty, as she was still sore from her ordeal.  
  
"My dear child," she whispered and she took the girl's hands in her own. " Will you not call me aunt?" Mayda looked into her aunt's deep blue eyes and saw the friendship that lay there.  
  
"Of course," the little girl finally whispered and before Eowyn realised what was going on the girl had thrown her arms around her neck. Eowyn smiled as her eyes prickled with the makings of tears. Now at last she could finally lay Théodred's ghost to rest.  
  
"Come now, I must tell you of Cirion and Eorl," Eowyn said before she could let the tears fall and she climbed to her feet taking Mayda's hand once more. "For that is who these two legendary men are, see here they stand on the Halfirien, or the Amon Anwar as our brothers in Gondor so call it. This painting tells of the very beginnings of our Kingdom Mayda, this is where your heritage began..."  
  
X X X  
  
"Aunt Eowyn is the best storyteller ever!" Mayda exclaimed resolutely once she had found Lothiriel in a sitting room. The young queen looked up in surprise as Mayda rushed in. "She made it so exciting auntie, if only she were my teacher and not that boring old..." Someone cleared their voice from the other side of the room and the girl spun round to see her uncle holding a scroll and conferring with none other than the lore master. Mayda's cheeks went bright and she sank down on the divan next to her highly amused aunt. The aged scholar quickly excused himself and he could be heard ranting loudly about 'ingrates' as he stalked away. Mayda stayed sunken into the cushions until Éomer stepped into her eye line and sat down opposite her.  
  
"And I believed Master Éorelson to be a liar when he wrote to me complaining of your behaviour," he reprimanded mildly, though Lothiriel could see how difficult he was finding trying to mask his amusement. Mayda sighed dramatically and sat up.  
  
"Well he is boring," she complained. " And old," she added pointedly looking to Lothiriel for support. The young woman smiled charmingly.  
  
"Oh yes, very old indeed," she said adamantly. Éomer glared at his wife childishly, before looking back on his resolute niece.  
  
"That may be, though I am sure he does not appreciate it being pointed out every other day." Mayda crossed her arms and leant back once more. " If he too chooses to leave and join his companions in Minas Tirith then I will not know what to do with you." The girl rolled her eyes and nodded, upset that not one adult could see that the lore master was so obviously against her.  
  
"There is something we wanted to ask you darling," Lothiriel said gently, trying to sooth the petulant child. Mayda looked up at her aunt curiously. "Well it seems that some time this morning your uncle rose before the sun and fled from Edoras." At the mention of Maydir the little girl seized up and a look of fear crossed her face, before it faded into a well-practised calm expression, though not before Éomer could register her reaction.  
  
"Do you know where he has gone, I was under the impression that he wished to have council with me?" Éomer asked. Mayda shook her head earnestly, a small smile forming on her lips.  
  
"May I be excused?" she asked sounding strained. Éomer looked at her intently for a moment.  
  
"Mayda you do know that you may tell me anything you like and I will always listen," he eventually said. The child faltered for a moment, but eventually nodded before getting to her feet with an expectant expression. "Yes of course you may go." With this it took her moments to skip out of the room into the empty corridor, where she leant against the wall for a moment panting hard. Had he finally gone for good? Feeling elated she charged through the corridors until she reached her uncle's room. Finding it devoid of personal affects she dared to hope that perhaps at last she was free, but then her eyes fell on a letter lying on the windowsill, fluttering lightly in the breeze.  
  
Mayda's face fell and her chest started resonating with the rapid meticulous drumming of her heart. Gulping back a shudder she stepped forward and reached out to pick up the letter. It fell open in her hand and her uncle's rough script filled the parchment. Biting her lip she began to read his message. Before she could reach the end a sob wracked her body and she dropped the parchment to the floor before running out into the glorious summer's evening, but no amount of the waning sunshine could bring a smile to the little girl's face.  
  
She made her way down the familiar route from the Golden Hall to the Gate of Edoras without being disturbed and finally came to howes she had lain with for many hours only the day before. Picking a simbelmynë, she began pacing the weathered path to the howe she had visited many a time. It was here, even more so than in the library, that she truly felt close to her father, where she truly felt safe.  
  
"Hello papa," she said softly, kneeling down on the gentle slope at the base of the howe. "He hasn't gone," she uttered fearfully and she dropped the flower she grasped onto the hillock, watching it tumble in the breeze until it landed gently amongst the others. "And I have not the heart to tell my uncle what he is...he says he will kill me if I tell, kill...kill them! I don't know what to do..." She trailed off and lay down against the slope looking up at the vast blueness of the sky. "What would you have done?" Somewhere up above she imagined the kindly face she remembered smiling down on her and for a while the memory of her father stilled all her fears and kept out the dark.  
  
X X X  
  
Brother and sister stood side-by-side looking over the howes from far above. Éomer had gone to his sister as soon as his niece had fled to fully discuss what had occurred during his absence, only to find her seeking him out to discuss exactly the same thing.  
  
"You need not worry, she often goes to his grave," Eowyn explained seeing the concerned look on her brother's face as they watched the little white- clad figure splayed out on the roof of the howe. " Though something is amiss brother, when I touched her back she recoiled in pain...or fear, and I will never forget the look on her face when Maydir arrived. I have seen it many a time, when our people were on the run from the foul folk! She is deathly afraid of him, yet will not have him sent away." Éomer sighed and shook his head.  
  
"I will talk with her," he said eventually turning away from the window. " Whether it takes me ten days or ten years, I will find out what secret they share." He looked into his sister's eyes and smiled. "Come now sister, let us go and see to your son. I am sure Faramir will be at his wits' end by now and will not know what to do with young Elboron." Eowyn laughed heartily and playfully slapped her brother's arm.  
  
"You need not belittle him so, he is a very wise man," she said through a sincerely happy smile. Éomer feigned surprise.  
  
"Truly? I would be surprised if he even knew which end of a baby was which."  
  
X X X 


	7. Chapter 7

The heir of Théodred  
  
Chapter Seven  
  
Éomer narrowed his eyes as he peered into the trees, trying to pinpoint the giggling that was painfully reminding him he needed to practise this new game Mayda had invented. It seemed she was continuously inventing new games, as every time poor Éomer mastered the rules and beat the little scamp she would grow bored and insist they play a new game.  
  
"I still do not see how this is to work if I am not allowed to take more than three paces," he called into the gloom.  
  
"Three paces in one direction actually, and it will work," a little voice called back from somewhere to his left. He focused his direction on the slightly darker patch of trees and finally caught sight of a piece of dark cloak. "You are simply not trying hard enough uncle Éomer!" Éomer grinned boyishly and made an almighty leap in the direction of the tree.  
  
"That was one!" He leapt again, already within reaching distance of the tree, but as he moved to take the last of his allotted steps a little blur of white and brown skimmed past him to hide behind another tree. " Well if you are allowed to move then I do not see how this is fair," he laughed, turning to see the girl stick her head out from behind her new hiding place.  
  
"Well you have to sneak up on me," she said as though this much was obvious at least. Éomer laughed out loud and clambered out of his uncomfortable stretched position.  
  
"And how am I to do that when you are watching my every move?" he asked fondly, heading over to the horses to take a swig of water. The midday sun was bearing down on them, and even though Éomer could understand neither hide nor hair of Mayda's games, he was grateful to be out of the heat. This game was definitely an improvement on the race she had insisted they carry out across the plains. It may have been made easier had she not conjured up a rule stating any over five feet in height must have their legs bound together. The last Éomer had seen of the little girl was her blonde head bobbing out of sight over the crest of a hill as he struggled to hop over a little ditch.  
  
"Are you not feeling hungry yet?" he asked her as she skipped over triumphantly. She looked thoughtful for a moment, but as she began to shake her head her stomach grumbled suggesting perhaps she was lying. Éomer smiled fondly and ruffled her hair, noticing that it made absolutely no difference to her already-scruffy mop of thick hair. Once more Lothiriel would have to spend hours untangling the mess and pulling twigs out of it. "You would say anything to stay out till the very last moment wouldn't you?" Mayda shook her head once more, but the smirk that was growing on her imp-like face suggested otherwise.  
  
"Playing with you is so much more fun than playing on my own," she explained accepting the flask her uncle was handing her. She gulped the rest of the water down greedily. Once she had drained the hipflask she dropped her arm panting for air. There had actually been quite a lot of water remaining in the flask. Now finally she was able to continue, " But you rarely have enough time!" Éomer took the now empty flask and dropped it back in his steed's saddlebag.  
  
"Well I am starving," he explained heartily, mounting his horse. " Besides, we are already in enough trouble. You should have been ready for your lessons an hour ago." Mayda looked suddenly extremely busy with adjusting one of her stirrups. "And do not pretend you did not here that!" Éomer laughed. "As soon as we return to Meduseld we will eat and then you must go straight to the lore master." Mayda shrugged tiredly and nodded before mounting her own horse.  
  
"I will go, but I cannot guarantee that I will stay..."  
  
X X X  
  
Lothiriel beamed with joy as she saw her bedraggled husband and niece stumble into the great hall, falling upon the closest food they could lay their hands on. It warmed her heart to see the change that had come about in both of them. They had taken instantly to each other, and were seemingly of like mind, which was not surprising, as Éomer had grown up idolising his older cousin and was very similar in his free-spirited nature.  
  
What had become of Maydir none could say, save Mayda who would not. Maydir's message remained undisturbed in its hiding place. When the child had let it drop, the breeze had carried it under the dark bed, and none had yet thought to look there.  
  
Over the month that had passed since Éomer and Faramir's they had returned only once to the front line to ascertain whether their forces were still needed. Most of the foul folk had curried back into the darkness from whence they came, allowing Éomer to lead most of his riders home. He left a few éoreds to guard the borders of Ithilien under the leadership of Amling. Finally Eowyn and Faramir were taking their infant son home.  
  
This had been the main reason Éomer had devoted the entire morning to distracting his niece. Mayda had become incredibly close to Eowyn and very much enjoyed clambering on Faramir's back and gallivanting round the village. This was nothing though to how much she loved her baby cousin. She would often hang by Eowyn's side and watch as she tended to young Elboron. For all these reasons she was beginning to dread their departure, which was due to take place the next day.  
  
"Did you have an enjoyable morning?" Lothiriel asked sitting down next to her husband and kissing his cheek. Mayda nodded fervently with her mouth full of food, yet still she managed to contort her face into an odd looking grin. The girl then continued to explain every last intricate detail to her aunt before she caught Éomer staring at her pointedly. Mayda looked down at her plate grimly, realising she had finished eating fifteen minutes ago.  
  
"Yes, I shall go to my lesson," she sighed climbing to her feet. " But I will not like it and absolutely refuse to learn anything!" she added huffily, before she ran off.  
  
"Why does she always have to run everywhere?" Éomer asked fondly. Lothiriel smiled and shook her head.  
  
"I am told it is a phase," she replied cheerfully. "And it is one I do hope she never grows out of, it is a wonderful way for her to dispel her vast amounts of energy. How many games did she invent on this occasion my love?" Éomer laughed out loud and lifted his hand, indicating four with his fingers.  
  
"And can you believe it? I did not win any of them!" he explained.  
  
"Oh dear Éomer, I cannot imagine now a time when she was not ours," Lothiriel sighed and she reached out to grasp his hand. " Théodred would have been proud."  
  
"That we already known, I believe one entry in his journal continues for three pages on..." Lothiriel chuckled softly and shook her head.  
  
"I did not mean Mayda," she said. "You are so wonderful with her. He would have been proud of you."  
  
"I hope you are right," Éomer said seeming suddenly humbled. " If I can bestow on him the greatest honour by ensuring his only child is brought up safely in this world then I would wish I were doing it to the best of my abilities."  
  
X X X  
  
Mayda crept through the breezy corridors as silently as she could. The only noise she made was the sound of her bare feet padding along the slate tiles. The sun had long since set and the entire household had been sleeping for many hours. Mayda alone had not been able to find sleep as she was dreading having to part with Eowyn and her family. In the early hours of the morning Elboron's wails brought Mayda to her door to listen and she felt tears well in her eyes as a soft voice carried a gentle tune through the corridor.  
  
Making up her mind to seek comfort, the little girl had set out in her nightgown alone, though now she severely regretted it as a chilly breeze bit at her bare shins and arms. Only Eowyn's voice kept her going. Like a moth seeking a flame, the girl was drawn to Eowyn's deep song and soon she peered round the door of the nursery to find the mother rocking her baby to sleep.  
  
"Hello my darling," Eowyn suddenly whispered, before she carried on singing her tune. Mayda crept inside the warm nursery and crept up to her aunt's side. "Do you want to hold him? He will not lie still." Mayda nodded quickly and she ran across the nursery to the large armchair. Eowyn brought her baby over to the girl and gently placed him in her arms. " He likes you very much, he will miss you." Mayda sighed as she looked on the drowsy infant.  
  
"I will miss him also," she uttered helplessly. "Teach me your song?" she suddenly asked, looking up to her aunt eagerly. "It makes me feel safe, I cannot say why." Eowyn smiled warmly and sat down next to her niece on the wife armchair.  
  
"Perhaps I might enlighten you," she whispered. " This song is an old Rohirric tune passed down by the generations. I do believe it comes from the days of the first age, when our ancestors lived in the lands to the west that are now no more." Mayda nodded intently, her eyes filled with wonder. She loved it when Eowyn told her stories. "I learnt it when I was a little girl much like yourself."  
  
"Who taught it to you?" Mayda asked. Eowyn smiled distantly, seemingly remembering this day fondly.  
  
"Your father," she eventually replied. Mayda's eyes widened in surprise. " I was very upset when I came to live here, and it would seem that nothing could sooth me. Your father was older than I by many years, and one fitful night he came to sit by my bed. He played the tune on an old flute he used to carry around." Eowyn paused to laugh at this; she had many fond memories of Théodred's old flute. "When he saw that I quietened down at the sound of the melody he began to sing it to me. Though I could not understand the words as it is in a tongue long lost to us, it calmed me still. Perhaps, though you might not remember it, he sang it to you to ease away your fears." Mayda closed her eyes desperately trying to remember if this may have been so, but she could not recall her father ever singing an old song from the ancient days.  
  
"I do not think so," she eventually mumbled, distress filling her young face. Eowyn wrapped her arm around the girl's shoulders and squeezed her tightly.  
  
"We cannot remember many things from when we were very young my darling," she said softly. "It was that tune that brought you out into the cold to follow it. I daresay that deep down, you know it. Now come, let us sing it together. You will learn it easily enough." And once more Eowyn began to sing the slow melody.  
  
"Ghadra ainu, su en kali a en su ainu. Ghadra ainu, len de nas en su neg dar ainu. Trahan su en lohtur su ainu, ghadra kastu, su en kali a en su ainu," Eowyn sang softly, repeating it so many times that Mayda found herself singing along, trying to find meaning in the familiar sounds. The last thing she remembered before her heavy eyelids fell was looking down onto her sleeping cousin's face and thinking for just a moment that perhaps it was not so bad having to say goodbye, as she knew she would see them again.  
  
X X X  
  
The wind buffered the small procession of horses that rode their riders over the swelteringly hot plains of Rohan. Eventually they reached a bluff and they came to a halt. A small group of riders dismounted and walked towards each other, unsure of what to say. Finally it seemed, Faramir found the right words.  
  
"I can never thank you enough brother," he said reaching out and taking Éomer's hand, gripping the top of his arm with his other. Éomer's looked into his brother in law's eyes and saw such gratitude there that he threw an arm around his friend and embraced him firmly.  
  
"No thanks are needed my friend," he said stoutly. "Remember, to family!" With a wink he stepped backwards to find Lothiriel and Eowyn in an embrace with tears streaming down their cheeks, though strangely enough they were both laughing too.  
  
"We will see each other soon sister," Lothiriel said firmly and she pulled back and beamed at her close friend. Eowyn nodded wiping away her tears before looking down and finding a very doleful Mayda. Eowyn crouched down and stroked her cold cheek.  
  
"I am so happy we found you," she said softly and she pulled the little girl into a tight embrace, before pulling away with not another word. Faramir then leaned down kissed the top of Mayda's neatly braided hair before helping his wife onto her steed. Once he was sure she was comfortable he took Elboron from one of Lothiriel's handmaidens arms and passed him up to his wife. With this he bowed to Lothiriel and kissed her hand. With this he mounted his horse and looked down on his friends.  
  
"Till we meet again!"  
  
X X X  
  
"Will you not smile my darling?" Lothiriel asked her glum charge as they walked to the stables. Mayda sighed and shrugged. " Your uncle is taking you to the swimming hole for the first time and all you can do is shrug. Perhaps he had better not take you," she suggested. Mayda quickly looked up and shook her head.  
  
"No, I want to go!" she cried and a small excited smile crept onto her face. "I really want to!" she added with much more vigour. In truth, it had been something she had wished to do since Eowyn told her about her fond memories of this large swimming hole to the south of Edoras at the base of a waterfall.  
  
"That is more like it," Éomer's cheerful voice sounded from inside the stables. He came into view with two steeds already saddled up and such a happy smile on his face that Mayda decided that now was not the time to mope. She had been waiting for this for weeks.  
  
She managed to not think about Eowyn until they reached the waterfall and everything was exactly as she had described it. Swallowing away a painful sob she threw her cloak down heading straight for the makeshift swing made out of two ropes and a thick branch.  
  
"No wait!" Éomer cried, as she was about to dive into the water. Mayda slithered to a halt on the slipping boulders and turned to look at her uncle questioningly. "Well you cannot swim in your gown," he laughed. " Lothiriel assured me she gave you britches this morning so as you might swim in those." Mayda hung back slightly looking worried, but within moments Éomer had thrown off his tunic and leapt into the water. She thought of the marks that covered her back and began to realise that this was perhaps not such a good idea.  
  
"I think I will wait a while, the water looks a little cold," she called to him making her way carefully back to the horses. Éomer had suspected that she might react like this and let her decline. Both he and Eowyn suspected that she was hiding something and had figured out that this might be the best way to find out what it was, but it would seem Mayda was well aware that she could reveal some of her secrets by giving in to her desperate desire to go swimming. Having grown up along the Anduin, Mayda had been swimming longer than she could remember. In the summer, if ever any had sought any child in the village, they did not need to look further than the river. It was as a second home to the youngsters.  
  
So Mayda sat by the steeds watching as her uncle splashed around in the water, diving in off the rocks and hanging from the swing...all the things she wished she could be doing. The heat was suffocating, as the summer was truly on its way.  
  
Eventually the temptation became too much for the child and she pulled her gown over her head revealing that she had already been wearing the britches Lothiriel had given her. Making sure that she kept her back from her uncle at all times she ran into the water and dived under, relishing in the instant coolness that washed over her. She swam over to the swing and looked up at it sceptically. Éomer was on the other side of the pool watching her calculatingly, so she could risk climbing on as long as she stayed facing him.  
  
It was more fun than she could remember having in a long time, as she swung as high as she could make the log take her before letting go and flying into the deep end of the pool, falling into the spray of the waterfall. Eventually she grew tired and swam over to where Éomer had been cheering on her swinging antics. She sat down on a submerged rock several feet from him catching his unreadable gaze. Finally though a look of horror replaced this and he jumped backwards pointing fearfully behind Mayda.  
  
"Snake!" he shouted. Mayda screamed and jumped backwards too, turning round to see where the danger lay, but the smooth boulders behind her lay bare. There was nothing there. She instantly spun around again and backed away from her shocked looking uncle.  
  
"Come back, please?" he uttered reaching out a hand. "Do not be afraid." Mayda's lower lip trembled, but she loved her uncle too much to mistrust him. So she pulled herself across the riverbed to him. " Let me see," he ordered gently and she turned around  
  
Éomer stared in horror at the faint scars that literally littered Mayda's back. They looked as though they had come from a belt of some kind, though an orcen whip could not be ruled out of course. Here and there a deep scar as though from a blade stood out.  
  
"Who did this to you?" he eventually asked. Mayda turned around once more and looked up at him through emotionless eyes.  
  
"After my mother died I was alone..." she began. " For a while. The orcs that killed her, they...they were cruel and they had bitter whips." This in itself was not a lie, she had found herself torment to the vicious orcs who had assailed her village, though she had escaped from them ere they could inflict too much pain. She paused and fought to spit out the next words.  
  
'Why are you afraid?' a voice whispered in the back of her mind. 'Uncle Éomer will protect you...'  
  
"And after your uncle came back? What then?" Mayda looked up at Éomer once more, tears filling her eyes.  
  
"He..."  
  
X X X  
  
More to come soon.  
  
AN – Eowyn's song [not relevant to the story, just wanted to add some info on it] – I very much love the Silmarillion, and the Rohan are descendents of the Northmen, who in turn were descendents of the great races of men who fought valiantly in the first age along with the Eldar. I see this song as coming from the earliest days possible, when the Haladin (one of the three houses of men) were making their way from where they were created in the darkness to the west. Therefore the language would be primitive. I looked at a website (http:www.uib.no/People/hnohf/) concerning the languages that Tolkien created and looked at the roots of Westron, old mannish tongues and old Sindarin to find some commonly used sounds to make up the 'words' in the song. Especially 'gad' which in Westron means 'stay', a recurring theme in the song as when I thought of this low and haunting tune I thought of someone lamenting someone they had lost. If you imagine the tune Viggo Mortensen made up for Aragorn's singing at the end of Lord of the Rings, then that is the kind of feel I was thinking of. Anyway, :) just some info on that... you'll probably think I'm crazy now. Actually, I need advice, is it too much? Shall I remove the words and just use the power of the narrative to describe it? 


	8. Chapter 8

Thank you for the reviews :) I love it!  
  
The heir of Théodred  
  
Chapter Eight  
  
Maydir rode hard and fast ranting as he went. He had encountered the Lady Eowyn on the old North-South road and she had spent an hour interrogating him on his whereabouts. He tried to explain that he had left a letter explaining he had urgent business away in Gondor, but she would not believe him. Eventually she allowed him to continue on his way, calling after him that he would not be received so warmly this time. As Edoras came into view, the cretin smirked darkly.  
  
"Ah, the jewel of Rohan," he sighed. "How glad I will be when you are mine!" He urged his tired steed on and within no time he had reached the Golden Hall, leaving his steed in the custody of the outraged stable- masters. He ignored their urgent questions on how this horse had come to be in such a condition and headed over to the great hall.  
  
Lothiriel was discussing a civil dispute matter with two villagers when commotion sounded from beyond the great doors. Eventually they were flung open and a weary figure stalked in. She recognised the greasy looking man instantly and rose to her feet.  
  
"Where is my niece?" Maydir demanded. Lothiriel looked to the disgruntled villagers and nodded quickly. Reluctantly they headed out, dragging their feet in protest as they went. The young queen gave their retreating backs an apologetic smile before turning coldly on the intruder.  
  
"I will not have you disturbing my council Maydir of Archanion," she stated icily, addressing him by what they had learnt was the name of the lands they believed he had mastery over. Those in Rohan had not yet learnt of Maydir's disownment from the family, and were helpless to believe he really was the master of the river flats that made up the area of Archanion. "You are no longer welcome here as a guest of honour and must await the return of King Éomer ere you may leave again."  
  
"I do not understand you people, I left a very detailed letter describing why I had to leave so unexpectedly. I received word that the farmers on my estate were staging a revolt in Archanion and I had to return as soon as I might," he spat, rewording the lie he had written about with great detail. "Now I demand to see my niece, you may have jurisdiction in this land my lady, but you have no right to keep me from her." Lothiriel narrowed her eyes at the man and walked over to him.  
  
"She is not in Edoras. She is with her uncle," she said.  
  
"She has only one uncle and that is I. The King of this land is merely her cousin, and has not the authority to impede on my custody of the child," he hissed venomously.  
  
"Contain your anger Master Maydir or I will have you removed from these halls," Lothiriel ordered and she returned to the smaller throne beside the king's. "Mayda Théodwyn is the granddaughter of the late King of Rohan. She was offered rule of this land and as she refuse she is now a princess of the Mark..."  
  
"I know all this," Maydir began, but he cowered slightly under Lothiriel's icy gaze. "My lady," he added bitterly. "That is still no reason for her being taken from me."  
  
"She was not taken from you," Lothiriel muttered, finally letting her contempt for this creature show. " Instead she was taken from us, the people of Rohan. Her mother had not the right to keep the heir of this land away from her father and his people. She belongs here and if you wish to remain her uncle then I suggest you adapt to this fact very soon." Maydir scowled angrily. "She is not leaving us again."  
  
"Very well," Maydir finally conceded with great difficulty, managing to contort his face into a somewhat pleasant expression. "Then I shall await their return."  
  
X X X  
  
"He..." The girl looked away and tears fell from her open eyes into the pool. Eventually her body crumpled in defeat and she looked up with that deathly cold stare once more. "He saved me from the orcs." Éomer returned her cold gaze unsure of what to believe. He had never met this Maydir fellow, and although something was amiss, if Mayda would not condemn him, he could not simply believe the man to be evil on Eowyn's suspicions alone.  
  
"He saved you from the orcs," Éomer repeated brusquely. " Well then I should like to meet your uncle, and commend him for his bravery!" His tone was exaggerated and he noticed the girl wince with every single word he spoke concerning her uncle. Éomer's frustration washed away once he saw how wretched his niece looked. "Are you certain there is nothing you wish to tell me?" Mayda looked up desperately, but it seemed whatever fear was guiding her would not relinquish so easily and she shook her head resolutely.  
  
"Nothing uncle." Another tear fell.  
  
"Come girl, let us return to Edoras, the sun is waning and supper will be almost ready," he said and they returned to the horses. As they pulled on their discarded garments they spoke not a word. Even as they guided their horses back into the plains from the shade of the trees the silence remained. Éomer looked on his niece and saw pain etched into all of her features. Without a word he fell to his knees and pulled her into a tight embrace.  
  
"Please do not hate me uncle," Mayda cried into his shoulder, breathing in the musky smell of the tunic. It was a smell she loved as it reminded her of horses and the wild.  
  
"Hate you?" Éomer uttered. "Never could I hate you! Should you burn Meduseld to the ground in an attempt to escape the lore master, still I would not hate you." Mayda giggled shakily and smiled a truly happy smile. They separated and it warmed Éomer's heart to see her beaming face. She looked hesitant for a moment, but then she uttered something quickly before mounting her horse.  
  
Éomer mounted his own horse feeling both touched and happy. As they rode towards Edoras the setting sun basked the world in a pink glow and Éomer let his niece's words roll around in his mind. 'I love you uncle'.  
  
X X X  
  
Both uncle and niece were laughing as though the events at the swimming hole had not happened when they entered the great hall. It was a pleasant sight to see, and the courtiers who had gathered for supper smiled happily at the pair. Both Éomer and Mayda smiled back, but suddenly the young girl's face dropped in horror and she stared ahead.  
  
"Mayda!" a man's voice cried from the head of the great hall and Éomer turned to see a very odd looking man come forward and embrace the shocked girl. He looked as though once he could have been handsome, but he had aged too quickly and he did not look as though he had bathed in many months. Deep creases in his face gave him the look of someone who is always angry and something about him was most untrustworthy. Eventually the man climbed back to his feet and faced the king. His dark eyes fixed on Éomer's grey ones with a glare. He bowed however, and Éomer was unsure of what to do. Had he imagined the look of hatred he had just received?  
  
"My lord, I apologise for my sudden departure upon your arrival," he said in a lowly voice. "It appears the letter explaining the manner of my departure was misplaced." Here he looked on his niece with an accusing stare. She gulped guiltily and shuffled closer to Éomer, reaching up and taking his hand.  
  
"I have been told you wished to make council with me," Éomer said a tone that was very intimidating for many, though it did not seem to affect the man that stood before him. "I must say I was surprised to find you leave upon my arrival." Maydir smiled glibly and bowed his head slightly in a manner that reminded Éomer dreadfully of that snake Grima.  
  
"We cannot control these things," he uttered. Éomer bit the inside of his cheek and considered his growling stomach, but eventually he realised he would rather deal with this business before sitting down to eat.  
  
"Should you wish to discuss the matter now, I will hear you," the King said.  
  
"Your majesty is most kind," Maydir said. Éomer looked down at his niece who had, he was sorry to see, returned into the timid child he had first met.  
  
"Go to your aunt," he ordered gently. Mayda nodded and casting Éomer one last desperate glance she rushed past Maydir to sit beside Lothiriel and her friends.  
  
The queen had been watching her beloved closely, trying to hear what was being said. Now as the King walked out of the hall he turned briefly to catch his wife's gaze and he winked at her, reassuring her. She blushed slightly and turned back to the ladies of the court, wondering what Éomer had found out while out with their niece, and also whether he was going to send the cretin away.  
  
X X X  
  
"I must say Maydir of Archanion, you have shown me no reason to trust you," Éomer said at length once the greasy man had pleaded his case, demanding that he remain Mayda's guardian and be consulted in all matters that concern the girl.  
  
"Nor have I given you reason to mistrust me my lord," Maydir uttered. Éomer nodded his head in agreement and leaned back in the leather chair behind his desk.  
  
"As for the girl's guardianship, I do not understand how strength of blood offers you the right to be her sole custodian," Éomer continued. " Surely you would wish the best for young Mayda? I do not see how a dilapidated estate in an area prone to orc invasion is a more suitable home than the safety of Meduseld." Maydir growled under his breath.  
  
"I have already accepted that she is to remain here in Rohan, all I ask is that I am granted permission to remain with her," he complained agitatedly.  
  
"As her guardian."  
  
"Yes as her guardian!" Maydir repeated. "You had no right to take her from me your majesty."  
  
"I had no right to take her from you?" Éomer suddenly roared getting to his feet. "Master Maydir I did no such thing. When I found that child she was about to fall prey to a company of orcs. They would have killed her had I not saved her and brought her to safety. If I hadn't 'taken her from you' as you so eloquently put it, then you would no longer have a niece and I would be able to cast you from my sight. As for my rights...did you ever meet Théodred?" Maydir too climbed to his feet and nodded fervently.  
  
"Many times," he snapped.  
  
"I say you lie, as you are not mentioned at all in my cousin's journals," Éomer countered dangerously. Maydir scowled.  
  
"I met him once," he hissed.  
  
"Théodred was as a brother to me Master Maydir, and so I thought him to be," Éomer said taken a few steps towards the cretin that stood before him. "His child is as much a niece to me as she is to you. I do not like you Maydir of Archanion and I refuse you guardianship to the princess of the Mark."  
  
"You cannot do that!" Maydir hissed.  
  
"Well then we shall ask the child," Éomer hissed back. A small smile crossed Maydir's face.  
  
"She shall ask for me to stay," he laughed confidently. " My niece loves me your majesty and she will not have me sent away."  
  
"If anything she fears you," Éomer growled. "But as you are so confident of her feelings then we shall ask her. If she insists you remain then yes, you may become her sole custodian. Though if she refuses you, I will banish you from my Kingdom and you may never return, or the consequences will be grave!" Maydir laughed dangerously and nodded, accepting this deal.  
  
X X X  
  
Mayda looked up from her stew as the servant girl approached. She watched intently as she leant down and whispered something in Lothiriel's ear that made the young queen's eyes grow wide. She nodded quickly and excused the girl before turning on Mayda.  
  
"Come my darling," she said kindly, though worry creased her lovely face. Mayda gulped nervously and taking her aunt's hand, she allowed herself to be guided in the direction of the King's personal study. Once Lothiriel had ushered her inside Mayda found both her uncles staring each other down murderously.  
  
"Mayda," Éomer said upon seeing the girl and he walked over to her crouching down before her. "I don't want you to be afraid." Mayda nodded shuffling closer to the king to hide herself from Maydir's intensive stare. "There is a question we must ask of you." The girl nodded once more. Getting to his feet Éomer stepped back slightly. "I must ask whether you wish for your uncle to be sent away, or whether you wish for him to remain here in Edoras." Mayda looked nervous and took several steps back, seeking Lothiriel's comfort. She could not ignore the look on Maydir's face. As if guessing what the man behind him was doing Éomer added, "If you wish for him to be sent away, he will be banished from Rohan and you would never have to see him again."  
  
Mayda looked hopefully to Lothiriel and then slowly onto Maydir, who as shaking his head slowly. His meaning was clear. The young girl knew she could never escape from him.  
  
"I..." Éomer crouched down and took her hand.  
  
"You would be safe here," he said passionately. Her eyes wavered from one man to the next, and slowly the skin on her back started to feel tight as she remembered her uncle's belt slicing her skin open.  
  
"I..." She stopped once more and tears welled up in her eyes once more. Éomer saw he was losing the battle.  
  
"I would protect you!" Mayda closed her eyes and a single tear fell from her face onto Éomer's hand. He looked at it sadly, knowing already what the girl was going to say...  
  
X X X  
  
A/N to Lady scribe of avandell about the britches (previous chapter) – Firstly thank you so much for all your incredibly helpful advice, I look forward to your reviews because they are detailed and help me improve my writing – also really nice to know someone is taking in all the little details :). Now on to the point, the whole revealing the scars scene was always going to be a tricky one. I was very aware as I was wiring it that it just didn't feel comfortable. I thought of introducing Lothiriel into the situation to ease the pressure of having to write carefully to avoid it seeming...well sleazy, but that would make the logistics for Mayda hiding her back even more difficult and also I felt it was an important step in he bonding between Éomer and his niece. I did think of having her wear something on top that went see-through so the scars showed through, or wear an under shirt that had a loose neckline, hanging down at the back, but then I thought that Éomer, after noticing the state of the top of her back (or the whole in the shirt going see-through situation) would wish to see the full extent of the damage and I couldn't for the life of me think of a way to make her taking her shirt off to show him her back sound anything other than dodgy. I felt this way was the lesser of the two evils and I also imagined that in those days, and especially as we're talking about the Rohan (who I always see as a much more down to nature and free people than the people of Gondor), I didn't think they would think twice about a child going swimming in britches alone. Then lastly I thought back to when I was seven and in the summer time I never wore a T-shirt. I realize that some for some people it is not going to feel right at all, but I would rather keep it this way than have the headache of trying to make this sound anything other than creepy – "he made her take her shirt off to show him the rest of the marks". Oh and also I just want to say that child molestation is NOT going to feature in my story. I find it too sordid and evil (child abuse is hard enough to get my head round) to write about. Okay long note, but keep the advice coming, it is SO appreciated! 


	9. Chapter 9

Thanks for the reviews :) once more. I've never had this many before! Lady scribe of avandell – Thanks for pointing out it wasn't clear. I went back and changed it, but so you don't have to go back. Archanion is the land that belongs to the estate of Mayda's family (the estate Maydir is pretending he owns) – He was in fact lying, he ran to save his skin.  
  
The heir of Théodred  
  
Chapter Nine  
  
Éomer had ridden out into the dark angrily, had Lothiriel waited any longer to follow him she would never had picked up his trail. The moon gave enough light to follow the faint trail that Éomer's steed had left. Mainly the young Amrothian followed the sound of the horse galloping away in front of her. Their horses were similarly matched in speed, as most of the Rohirric horses were, the lords of all horses. Eventually after an hour's chase Éomer's fury waned enough to let his wife catch up with him in the moonlight.  
  
As the young queen pulled alongside her husband she reached out and took his hand, grasping it to calm him even more. Her touch always soothed his temper and this time was no different, though the disappointment and pain remained. Éomer sighed deeply and placed his other hand on top of Lothiriel's. He caught her gaze and smiled lovingly at her.  
  
"What would I do without you my love?" he asked softly. Lothiriel feigned an expression of deep thought.  
  
"You would probably end up somewhere beyond the sea of Rhûn before your temper and pride gave in," she eventually suggested. Éomer laughed heartily and kissed her slender fingers one by one.  
  
"And become subject to torture and agony by the wretched Easterlings," he finished.  
  
"Something to that accord, yes," his wife giggled and she swung one leg over her saddle. With a firm helping hand from Éomer she swung herself from her steed to his and settled herself behind him, before she wrapped her arms around his strong chest and rested her head on his back.  
  
"I am much happier with this arrangement," the king eventually said, his voice resonating deeply in his chest, allowing the queen a small smile of affection. She listened to the faint beating of his heart and silently agreed with him, thinking for the thousandth time that she could not be happier than when she was when she was with him.  
  
"We will get her back," the young woman eventually said softly. Éomer chuckled sardonically and shook his head.  
  
"What will remain of her when we do, I dare not think," he muttered. At this Lothiriel lifted her face and stared at the back of her husband's head.  
  
"You have reason to believe he has harmed her?" she asked sounding shocked. She would have expected if this had been the case, he would never had posed Mayda with the choice of allowing Maydir to stay. "What did you see when you went swimming?" Éomer shook his head sadly remembering the poor battered child.  
  
"Many faint scars, none recent enough to have occurred since we found her," he explained. "She has not been touched since I brought her to safety!" This as much gave him some peace of mind. " She told me it was orcs."  
  
"Perhaps Maydir then is undeserving of our malice towards him," his wife said softly, rubbing his shoulders in an attempt to ease his tension. " Though he does not act as an innocent man."  
  
"No he does not." The couple fell into silence one more and Lothiriel rested her face once more, and they remained so for many hours, enjoying the simple pleasure of each other's presence, an unspoken love and friendship passing between them.  
  
X X X  
  
Mayda stared at her uncle in surprise, what was this new form of wickedness? Or was Maydir's kindness genuine. He had not shouted, he had not lashed out, no, he had simply wished her well and goodnight. Brow furrowed deeply with suspicion, the girl did not need telling twice and she ran from his sight. The heavily packed great hall was heaving with the return of an éored from the north. Nobody noticed the small form slinking between them and creeping out into the fresh night. She slipped away down the steep slope towards the city wall and had soon made her way out of the sleepy village into the wild.  
  
She knew full well that she was breaking her uncle's rule of not stepping foot outside the village past nightfall, but the girl desperately needed to pour her heart out to the howe that housed her passed father. It was not rare for wolves to come close to Edoras at night seeking out the stray sheep that the shepherds let graze on the plains surrounding the village. Aware of this danger Mayda still treaded her well-paced route and she sat down on the gentle slope of the hillock.  
  
"If you were here then no one would be arguing over me," she muttered sadly, pulling up a couple of weeds. "Can't you come back?" She looked up hopefully, but of course, the night remained silent around her. " Couldn't you tell Eru he made a mistake? Maybe I will tell him." The warm wind rushed around her, bringing to the child the scent of flowers from far away lands. She lay down and looked up at the stars, looking for the constellations her father had taught her many years ago. The wind picked up its pace and Mayda could have sworn she heard a familiar haunting tune carried on the soft breeze. With a smile the child began to sing the ancient lamenting song Eowyn had taught her the night before.  
  
It was her soft singing that caught the attention of Éomer and Lothiriel many hours later on their return to Edoras. Éomer looked outraged for a moment at Mayda's disobedience and the risk she had placed herself in, but Lothiriel quickly reached out and touched his hand.  
  
"I will go to her," she said softly. "She has come to no harm." Sighing the king nodded and waited for Lothiriel to dismount her horse before leading the young stallion back up to the stables. As for the young queen, she softly paced the worn path to where her niece lay watching her. Within no time Lothiriel sat at her side and lay down to look up at the stars alongside the child.  
  
After a long silence, and realising that she was not in trouble, Mayda continued with her song. After many repetitions Lothiriel grew curious.  
  
"What is this song you sing? It sounds sad," she said softly.  
  
"It comes from ages past...my father sand it to me..."  
  
X X X  
  
As the weeks began to pass Mayda did not revert back into her fearful self, as Maydir was surprisingly pleasant to his niece, even when they found themselves alone. Éomer and Lothiriel were well aware of his good nature and they began to wonder whether they had jumped to conclusions in accusing him of all sorts of wicked things.  
  
A joyous event was approaching. Lady Arwen, queen of Gondor, had just given birth to a son, the heir of the throne. The presentation of Prince Eldarion was promising to be quite the event as many old friends were travelling to the Minas Tirith for the celebrations. Mayda was terribly excited to be returning to Gondor and pestered everyone she could find about the plans for their departure.  
  
On the morning before they were due to set out Lothiriel was surprised to find Mayda was absent from breakfast. Excusing herself she headed through the corridors until finally she heard a faint coughing sound. Frowning, she sped up her pace until she had located the sound was coming from Mayda's chambers. She quickly knocked before rushing in to find the bedroom empty, though she did notice the air felt stale and there was a strange acrid scent about.  
  
"Mayda?" Lothiriel called.  
  
" Auntie..." a pained sound came from the bathroom, followed by the unpleasant sound of the girl being sick.  
  
"Oh my darling, you are ill," Lothiriel cried dismayed. " I am going to fetch the healer!" Within ten minutes she was back with the elderly medicine woman of the village. By now Mayda had finished retching and had found her way back into her sweat-soaked sheets by the time that three people filed into her room. On Lothiriel's return to the golden hall she had encountered Éomer who looked incredibly worried to hear of Mayda's condition.  
  
Lothiriel held back the child's very anxious uncle while the healer checked her over, but finally the old woman stepped backwards, allowing Éomer access. He rushed to the little girl's side and sat down taking her cold hand in his. Meanwhile the healer was discussing her condition with Lothiriel. By the time the healer left to concoct a drought, Lothiriel was looking grave. Mayda looked at her through her swollen eyelids and felt her heart sink.  
  
"Auntie?" she croaked.  
  
"The healer is going to try her best to make you better by tomorrow my darling, but..." Lothiriel paused and shook her head. " I don't think you will be well enough to go." Mayda groaned and threw her blankets off herself angrily, but she instantly regretted it as she started shivering violently. Éomer smiled tiredly at her before tucking her in again.  
  
"Does she know the cause of this illness?" he asked his wife. Lothiriel shook her head and frowned.  
  
"It is most strange, she says that the shade of Mayda's skin is too grey, she thinks this suggests poisoning of some sort, though from where she cannot say," Lothiriel explained sitting down beside Éomer on the edge of the bed.  
  
"Have you eaten anything while out on your adventures?" Éomer asked. Mayda shook her head earnestly. "No berries or..."  
  
"No," Mayda whined and she started coughing again. " Can I still go to Minas Tirith even if I am sick?" Lothiriel smiled sweetly and shook her head.  
  
"By no means will I allow you to travel if you are sick my darling," she said sympathetically stroking the girl's hair away from her face. " There will be other times to visit Gondor!" Angry tears welled up in Mayda's eyes and she turned away from aunt and uncle. Éomer smiled and kissed her forehead before getting to his feet and ushering Lothiriel out.  
  
"What are we to do with her?" he asked.  
  
"There is nothing we can do my love," Lothiriel said gently. "Neither you or I can miss the presentation of Prince Eldarion. It would be most inappropriate."  
  
"But she cannot remain alone," Éomer countered. Lothiriel shook her head and bit her lip in thought.  
  
"Maydir," she suddenly said. Éomer shook his head quickly.  
  
"Oh no!"  
  
"My darling, you said yourself not two days ago that he seems to be a most loving uncle to Mayda," she said pleadingly.  
  
"Yes, I said he seems," Éomer grumbled crossing his arms petulantly. " That does not mean that he is." Lothiriel smiled fondly at his behaviour and reached out to touch his arm.  
  
"Even Mayda does not fear him anymore," she said gently.  
  
"Perhaps not when we are never too far away, but how will she feel when we announce she must spend two weeks alone with him?" Éomer asked.  
  
"We do not have a choice my love, neither of us can remain with her and it would pain me to think she was alone." Éomer sighed and nodded. Even though he didn't like it, Lothiriel was right. Neither of them could stay, and even Maydir was better than no one at all.  
  
"Very well, I shall go ask him."  
  
X X X  
  
Needless to say Maydir was very concerned to hear his niece was ill and before Éomer posed the question he asked if he be allowed to remain behind to care for her. With a sigh Éomer had agreed and now stood outside the girl's room as he heard Maydir expressing his concerns to her in person. He scowled, despite his recent show of good nature; there was still something very untrustworthy about the man. He waited a long time before Maydir finally left the room. Once the other man's footsteps had died away he entered the room and found his niece looking far from angry, tearful or afraid. In some way this annoyed him and he couldn't figure out why. Although to others his jealousy was clear as day.  
  
"How do you feel to be left behind with your uncle?" Éomer asked stiffly hovering by the door. The child looked to him sickly and shrugged her shoulders.  
  
"I would rather come," she croaked. " But as I cannot, his remaining behind does not bother me." She coughed slightly and closed her eyes tiredly. "Uncle Éomer?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Tell me a story," she ordered weakly. "One about you and papa when you were young!" Éomer smiled despite his mood and sat down in the armchair beside the bed. He wracked his brain for one he had not told her yet, as initially she had pestered him daily for stories about her father and their youth. Suddenly a funny tale popped into his head and he settled down to tell his niece of a series of events involving a wager, Eowyn and a herd of cows that saw both Théodred and Éomer parading through Edoras in a pair of dresses.  
  
X X X  
  
The party setting out from Edoras was very subdued the next day in the absence of the young princess. Mayda had showed definite improvement overnight, but was nowhere near well enough to travel. So she waved them off with tears stinging at her eyes until they were long out of sight. Eventually she headed back to her room and to her surprise found Maydir waiting for her in the armchair.  
  
"Hello uncle," she said cautiously, wondering why he had come. She had climbed gingerly back into her bed before he spoke.  
  
"There is something I wish to discuss with you." His tone showed none of the pleasantness he had shown her the last three weeks. He seemed oddly serious.  
  
"What is it?" Mayda asked even more cautiously, a spark of fear making her shudder. She pushed it away however, thinking he had changed, she just knew he had.  
  
"It is about your rejection of the throne." Mayda's eyes grew wide and she pulled back into her pillows. Feeling a surge of courage, she looked suddenly stubborn and stuck her chin out into the air.  
  
"And I stand by it," she stated firmly. Maydir remained silent. " What of it?" she eventually asked impatiently.  
  
"You are going to reconsider your decision..."  
  
X X X  
  
More to come soon. Sorry I didn't update yesterday, was up to my elbows with paint (quite literally), I was helping my mother's class paint a huge panorama and then I crashed into bed the second I got home from exhaustion. 


	10. Chapter 10

Sorry this is a very short chapter, but it was a good place to end it.  
  
The heir of Théodred  
  
Chapter Ten  
  
"I will not!" Mayda cried out, throwing her bruised arms up to protect her head for what seemed like the millionth time that week. It had been a long week, one filled with a courage and steadfastness that Mayda did not know she possessed. It infuriated Maydir, and he went from attempt to attempt trying to persuade her, or often just beating her until she gave in. Meduseld was too quiet for anyone to notice, as many had gone to Minas Tirith for the celebrations.  
  
"You will!" the devilish man roared back as he lashed at her poor arms with a horsewhip, something he had found much more easy to wield than his belt. Mayda fell to her knees and bent over, protecting hugging her body in her misery. "How do you think your father would feel huh?" With this he planted a kick in her ribs knocking her onto her side in agony.  
  
"He would be so furious, he would rip you to pieces where you stand," the girl shrieked, climbing to her feet and casting her uncle a stubborn glare, this earned her another kick, planted neatly on her chest.  
  
"I did not mean how would he feel about me?" Maydir asked with a smirk. " I meant how would he feel if you let the throne go?"  
  
"He would not care!" Mayda spat. "He did not care that mamma refused to be queen. He still loved her the same." Maydir started laughing outrageously.  
  
"Ah yes, your mother," he sneered. "What a waste she turned out to be." Mayda's eyes burned with furious tears and once more she stumbled to her feet.  
  
"Don't you say anything about my mother," she whispered shaking with her anger and hurt. "She hated you, and so did papa. You did not dare come back when they were around. You were afraid, because papa would have killed you!"  
  
"What can I say?" Maydir said simply, lifting the whip again. Mayda stumbled backwards into the door, grasping for the handle. " He was a barbarian." Tears trickled down Mayda's cheeks as she stared at the only truly barbaric man she had ever met. Even the orcs did not match his cruelty and his vileness.  
  
"My uncle will kill you then," she hissed, getting a hold on the cold handle. Finally she gave it a firm pull and the door flew open and she out of it like a dart. She did not dare look behind as she heard his thunderous footsteps closing on her. She did not know where to turn. Every corner she made led her onto yet another deserted passageway. The emptiness tore at her heart and she began to weep as she ran wildly through this haven of peace that once was.  
  
Finally the chase was spent and the monstrous man caught up with the child and lifted her to her feet. She screamed with all her might...but none answered.  
  
"No one is going to help you," Maydir sneered in her ear. " Your father dead, your mother ravished by orcs and left to die...face it girl, you have no one in this world any more."  
  
"Yes I do," Mayda cried as she was dragged away kicking and screaming. Her thoughts flew to her aunt and uncle, far away in the white city...  
  
"You said you would protect me!" Had any been around to hear, they would hear her scream echo through the empty corridors for many hours.  
  
X X X  
  
Éomer sat up in bed, cold sweat running down his face, his eyes flying around the foreign room as though they were trying to find what had awoken him. It was no use, whatever it was had passed, leaving him with a feeling of terrible worry, and a terrible scream lingering in his ears from the nightmare that had haunted his sleep.  
  
"Mayda," he whispered in the dark. Beside him Lothiriel stirred from her light sleep and saw her dear husband sat straight up in bed.  
  
"Éomer?" she uttered, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. " What is it my darling?"  
  
"We must get back to Edoras, all is not well," he replied sounding scared out of his wits. His tone made Lothiriel's skin creep and she sat up by his side and wrapped her arms around his shivering form. " Tomorrow, we must go!" Lothiriel nodded quickly and kissed his bare shoulder.  
  
"Then we shall," she whispered. "Come my love, will you not lie down, you are deathly cold!" Éomer shook his head in an attempt to force away his worry, before gingerly lying down once more. Lothiriel pulled the soft blankets over him before resting her head next to his on the pillow, looking into his wide eyes with concern. With a small smile Éomer leaned forward and kissed her before closing his eyes and letting a dreamless sleep come over him. Only Lothiriel remained awake, staring at her sleeping husband, her thoughts straying to Edoras, was their dear little niece all right?  
  
X X X  
  
Broken and ragged, finally Mayda held out her hand to stop the torrent of abuse. Shaking she climbed wearily to her feet and looked up into the hateful face of her uncle. A single tear slid down her face and she closed her eyes in defeat.  
  
"I will do it," she uttered helplessly. A wild smile broke over Maydir's face and he moved to embrace her, but the terrified child pulled back and fell over her feet onto the floor once more.  
  
"Ah, away with you," Maydir grumbled and he stalked out muttering about plans of domination, leaving Mayda alone with her grief, her tears and her feelings of total abandonment. Crawling on her hands and knees, she gingerly made her way over to her desk where one of her father's journals lay. She pulled it down by the leather strap and her eyes fell on his neat script.  
  
"I'm sorry," she whispered, her tears falling to the page to blur the ink...  
  
X X X  
  
Horns sounded through the empty corridors of the palace. Mayda lifted her face from her desk and looked out of her window in defeat, the king's host was returning, as did her tears at the sight. She straightened her dress to hide her torture before getting to her feet and making her way to the door. As she opened it she peered out into the corridors. The emptiness greeted her and for a moment she felt stilled and refreshed with a surge of courage.  
  
"Come along you." A door opened and the skulking form of Maydir stepped out in front of the girl, sending her courage and her resolve into little pieces. Little by little the scoundrel had shredded the courage Éomer and Lothiriel had spent months helping the girl find. She was now more afraid of him than she had ever been.  
  
He held her neck tightly as they made their way through the great hall and out onto the steps. The tears would not stop falling as the King's part made their way up the hill on foot. Even from a distance Mayda could see the concern on her uncle's face, it evoked both hurt and anger in the child...he had deserted her.  
  
When Éomer had come close enough to see the tears on his niece's face he broke into a run, stopping only once he had fallen to his knees before her. He reached out to touch her, but she pulled back.  
  
"Mayda?" Éomer uttered in surprise.  
  
"There is something I have to tell you," Mayda muttered through her tears. She could not look her uncle in the eye. "I dem...deman....demand that I...that I become..." Mayda paused and she closed her eyes fretfully. Her eyes flew up to Maydir, who was staring at her murderously. "That I become queen," she finally finished, looking up finally into Éomer's eyes. For a moment a pain ripped through both of them, that may have signified the breaking of their bond and they looked away simultaneously. All seemed lost. 


	11. Chapter 11

Thank you once more for the reviews and I apologise again for the short chapter, I must be going through it too fast, because I've planned what is going to be in each chapter, but they're turning out pretty short... :/  
  
The heir of Théodred  
  
Chapter Eleven  
  
Éomer's eyes flew to the treacherous dog who stood with a smirk on his greasy face. The king jumped to his feet and pointed furiously at him, his face radiating the rage that was making his head throb.  
  
"Imprison this man," he ordered. Guards rushed forward, but Maydir jumped backwards looking confused.  
  
"Well what have I done your Majesty?" he asked glibly. Éomer could not find the words to answer him, so instead he flicked his wrist urging the guards to continue. So they did and Maydir would not go lightly.  
  
"You tell them to release me girl!" he shouted. "I will not be treated this way. You will regret this Éomer..." With this his words turned into muffled noise as he was dragged further into Meduseld. Once silence had fallen Éomer looked down on the shaking form of his niece.  
  
"Come with me," he said softly, looking behind to give Lothiriel a pleading look, noticing for the first time that his wife had been crying softly. She rushed forward to her husband's comfort and together they led the wreck of a girl to Éomer's study, which was by far the closest room where they could talk in private.  
  
"Let us see," Lothiriel said as soon as Éomer had pushed the door shut. Mayda took several steps backward and feigned a very poor confused expression.  
  
"See what?" the girl asked.  
  
"See what that animal has done to you!" Éomer roared, his anger now passing onto Mayda for her stubbornness.  
  
"He has done nothing," she snapped, her eyes locking onto Éomer's.  
  
"Then why have you changed your mind?" Lothiriel asked dropping to her knees by the girl's side. Mayda could not meet her eyes, such was her shame. "You did not want it, you were afraid of the rule. Why do you suddenly wish it?" Mayda's lower lip trembled and she shook her head.  
  
"My father..." She paused and shook her head. No, she would not lie about Théodred, she would not bring him into this. "I just do!" Éomer closed his eyes to push away the tears that were forming. He was helpless.  
  
"I told you I would protect you if you wish for him to sent away," he finally murmured, opening his eyes to see the anger on Mayda's face. It was a sight he would never have wished to see when this anger was directed at him, but he did not close his eyes again.  
  
Mayda felt an incredibly hurt welling up in her chest, sobs were imminent. How could her uncle claim he would protect her, when he had not done so already? She ignored the small voice telling her he had not been able to as she had lied about her uncle in the first place, but her pain and anger was too fresh to listen to it.  
  
"You will release him," she finally uttered. "He has done nothing wrong." With this she ran from the room, trying to stifle her sobs, but hallways out of the door she failed and the sound of her weeping softly drifted away as she headed out to the howes. Lothiriel walked over to Éomer helplessly, tears coursing down her cheeks.  
  
"Éomer..." she whispered. Within seconds she was pulled into a powerful embrace and she buried her face in his chest. "What are we going to do?"  
  
X X X  
  
There was nothing that could be done if Mayda would not tell the truth. Maydir was released and in his anger forbade the King from seeing his niece. After several days this rule was eased to forbidding the king to ever be on his own with his niece. Maydir was always present, so it was impossible for Éomer to speak with her. The reluctant planning of her coronation was underway and the grieved villagers informed. Rarely could you find smiles in Edoras.  
  
In this turbulent time mere days before the coronation a lone rider approached the village. Disinterested faces watched as the hooded rider passed them all heading up to the Golden Hall. It seemed not even the guards at the Golden Hall raised their heads to the white rider passing between them to enter the hall where many were dining. Once inside the rider locked eyes on the person they had travelled so far to meet and they threw their hood off.  
  
"Lady Eowyn," Many shocked voices chorused. Eowyn greeted them kindly, though she never tore her gaze from the little girl that was shaking under her gaze. As she approached she noticed out of the corner of her eye that Maydir was looking slightly afraid also. 'And so you should be,' Eowyn thought maliciously. Finally she reached the pair sitting alone and she contorted her face into a smile.  
  
"Mayda, will you not walk with me my darling?" she asked innocently. Mayda looked to her uncle with a glimmer of hope, but Maydir was looking fierce.  
  
"I do not permit her to be left on her own with other people," he said calmly. "Never know what might happen..." Eowyn smiled sweetly.  
  
"Very well, then you will walk with us." There was no arguing with her tone and both Maydir and Mayda got to their feet and followed Eowyn surprisingly into the corridors, rather than out of the door. Eowyn pulled Mayda ahead and they walked with Maydir stalking along behind them. They walked deeper and deeper into Meduseld, to places where Mayda had not been, let alone Maydir who had not explored the palace at all. Finally they reached a corner and Eowyn 'accidentally' knocked over a large statue, barring Maydir's way. She continued her pace with the girl and rounded the corner, leaving Maydir screaming abuse behind them. Finally he escaped his cage and he dashed round the corner to find...  
  
"Where are you?" he shouted into the dark ad empty corridor. He started wildly looking in rooms to find nothing more but emptiness. " Damn you woman, bring her back!"  
  
X X X  
  
Eowyn covered Mayda's mouth as they walked single file down the space between the walls. It was unnecessary though as the girl was too shocked and excited to speak. She had not known that there were secret passageways in Meduseld and for a moment her curiosity won over her fear and anger. Finally Eowyn found the secret door she was looking for and she ushered the pair of them out into the open air. Both blinked rapidly in the bright sunshine, but Eowyn was ushering Mayda down towards the city gate. Neither spoke until they were seated on the grass beside a howe. It was not Théodred's.  
  
"I am very disappointed in you Mayda," Eowyn said sadly. The girl closed her eyes in pain, stung by these words. She looked to the howe for distraction. She could not remember properly, though she thought it might house Théoden, her grandfather.  
  
"That is not important," Mayda finally whispered.  
  
"It is for you," Eowyn countered. "I know it pains you to be separated from those you love." Tears stung at Mayda's eyes. "Many years ago I was as a daughter to my uncle." Eowyn now looked to the howe and stroked the flowers appreciatively. "I would not dream of hurting him."  
  
"I..." Mayda began, but she could not say anything. Eowyn looked up in desperation, she could hear the angry shouting of Maydir approaching.  
  
"Éomer and Lothiriel see you as a daughter Mayda!" she said desperately, reaching out and taking Mayda's hand. "Do not wound them so, they have done nothing but protect you and love you. It is no their fault that you hid the truth from them and they left you with..." Mayda was lifted to the air roughly from behind. She twisted her neck and her eyes fell on Maydir glowering at Eowyn.  
  
"That is the last straw," he hissed. "None of you may see her before the ceremony! None!" he shouted and dragged a very confused child up to the palace where he locked her in her room alone with Eowyn's words whirring round her head.  
  
"They think of me as a daughter," she whispered tearfully. "Oh what have I done?"  
  
X X X  
  
Maydir was true to his word and Mayda had contact with none save him alone before the coronation. Upon the morning of the ceremony waiting ladies dressed the girl in her fineries, with Maydir waiting outside his ear pressed against the door to hear if they were talking, which he had strictly forbidden.  
  
Once the girl was dressed she waited alone behind a locked door, until finally bells started chiming signifying the ceremony had started. The door flew open and Maydir was waiting there, a manic grin on his face.  
  
"It is time," he said joyously. Mayda sighed heavily before stepping forward and allowing herself to be led to the great hall. Upon entering Mayda could do nothing but hang her head. So many had turned out for the event, but all showed nothing save contempt and grief on their faces. They loved their king.  
  
It seemed to take an age before finally she reached the platform that housed the thrones and she turned round to face the crowds. She had to hold back tears when she did not see her uncle or aunt amongst the crowds, but she did not falter and the ceremony began.  
  
Halfway through the main doors opened and a solitary figure walked in. They were clad heavily in armour and helm, so none could see his face, but the sight of him brought memories flooding back to the little girl.  
  
'I am not going to hurt you child... I am looking for you... my name is Éomer, and I was your father's cousin...' Mayda closed her eyes in grief and she was back there, at his side as he single-handedly beat the foul folk back, keeping an iron grip on her shoulder so as she would come to no harm.  
  
'Whatever happens Mayda, do not let go...'  
  
"No!"  
  
X X X  
  
The story is drawing to an end, but there is one twist left... 


	12. Chapter 12

A/N – Thanks once more for the reviews, they keep me going. Sorry I haven't updated in a few days, but it's been a very busy weekend (with work, turning twenty, hangovers etc)...  
  
The heir of Théodred  
  
Chapter Twelve  
  
"No!" the girl cried, throwing off her heavy mantle and rushing forward towards the armoured figure. She knew who it was. He was her saviour and he would never let anyone hurt her. As she came before him she stopped and looked up as the figure pulled off their helm to reveal Éomer's kindly face. "I'm sorry, but..." She did not have time to finish, because Éomer had dropped to his knees and pulled her into a powerful embrace. Her body ached all over from her injuries, but the girl did not complain, she was safe...at last.  
  
Finally they separated and he got to his feet looking around for Maydir. Amazingly though the monstrous man had fled the court and was nowhere to be seen. Éomer motioned for the armed guards at the door.  
  
"Muster my éored," he called to them, before looking back on his niece. " We will find him and bring him to justice!" Mayda nodded wearily and she looked like she wanted to hug him once more, but he turned on heel to scout out the land to see which way the scoundrel had fled. Lothiriel then fell on her niece and squeezed her tightly.  
  
"Oh my darling," she whispered. "You came to your senses." Mayda winced as one of her wounds had opened and blood started seeping through the thick material of her white gown. Lothiriel noticed and hid her dismay, getting to her feet and holding out her hand to the girl. "Come, let us treat that wound." Mayda nodded gratefully and took her aunt's hand. They walked in a pleasant silence until they reached one of the healing wings of the palace. Lothiriel sat her niece down and gently pulled the neck of the dress back to see many fresh wounds beside the one that had burst open. With a heavy sigh the young queen bathed the wound and dressed it.  
  
"I do not know how you bared this in silence," she whispered, peering down the length of her niece's back and seeing it littered with bruises and cuts. The sight made her blood boil.  
  
"I was afraid," the little girl whispered.  
  
"But you know that you're uncle and I would have protected you," Lothiriel countered desperately, crouching down in front of the girl and taking her shoulders in her hands. Mayda stared at her with tears in her eyes and she shrugged weakly.  
  
"Maydir is cunning auntie, he would have found a way," she uttered, grimly thinking that perhaps even now she wasn't entirely safe yet.  
  
"I can't believe you are related to such a man," Lothiriel grumbled, returning to her task of dressing the wound. To her surprise Mayda started laughing bitterly.  
  
"He is no relation of mine," she sneered. " Not anymore!" Lothiriel remained silent. "Many years ago, ere I was born, my grandfather Maydan of Archanion learned of the despicable behaviour of his only son. He attempted to reason with Maydir, but to no avail, the man was unstoppable. So he was disowned and all his rights to the land and...and to me were waved." Mayda paused and hung her head. "He stayed away while mamma was alive, because the entire village could have protected us if we needed it, but when she died and the village was thrown into chaos, there was no such protection. He reclaimed what in his mind ought to have been his own."  
  
"I cannot believe that my husband's cousin did not write of this in his journals," Lothiriel said sounding humbled by Mayda's story. Her frustration at the girl for hiding all this was fading, and an understanding of her plight was forming in its place. Mayda sighed and shook her head.  
  
"I do believe he did," she said sadly. "But then thought better of it." Lothiriel looked to the girl curiously and Mayda climbed to her feet gingerly. She led her aunt through the corridors to her room where a pile of Théodred's journals lay on her desk. She climbed onto her chair and sorted through them till she found the one she sought. Lothiriel recognised it instantly.  
  
"But that is the one that my dear sister and I unearthed. It is how we were able to find you," she gasped, but she recalled no mention of Maydir, nor any scoring out of any script that might conceal such a mention. Mayda flicked through the pages until she found was she was looking for and pulled pages back as far as they could go. Upon doing this the remains of another page was revealed, one that had evidently been ripped from the binding.  
  
"The prior entry was in the winter of my fourth birthday and I remember that around this time papa met Maydir for the first and only time. Maydir nearly met his end that day, but papa showed him mercy and he escaped into the wild once more," Mayda explained running her fingers over the fine script. "I do believe that my father intended to write out this account in full, but perhaps felt that such a man should not be included in his joyous journal. There is enough pain and suffering in these," she said sadly, waving a hand over three journals that lay to the side. A silence followed in which Mayda's stomach growled profusely. Eventually Lothiriel burst out laughing.  
  
"My darling, let us see to your stomach," she said cheerfully and handed out her hand to her niece. As they walked down the corridor hand in hand a peaceful feeling came over them both. "Don't worry Mayda, they will catch him."  
  
A pair of dark eyes followed them, before a shadow fell from behind a door in the direction of the kitchens.  
  
X X X  
  
Éomer rode his steed hard, it would seem that the rider ahead of them had stolen one of the king's horses as it was similar in speed to Éomer's mighty horse. Behind the thundering of the galloping éored made even the ground shake and yet the rider did not give in. Finally, it would seem that without a good knowledge of the lay of the land the rider came across a river he could not cross and was forced to try and outrun the éored along the banks of the river, but the company closed in and the rider was trapped. Éomer rode forward slightly.  
  
"You will dismount or we will strike you down!" he bellowed. Ahead the rider quickly jumped down and stood hooded waiting for the king to approach. Éomer growled angrily and rode his steed forward, followed by Elfbold, and Grimhelm, second and third in command of the army after Amling. It had been they who had aided the King and their captain in saving Mayda. Once they reached the figure they dismounted and Éomer strode over to the rider stealthily.  
  
"Remove your hood," he ordered gruffly. A low laughter came from beyond the material and in an instant the rider threw back the hood to reveal... " Who are you?" Éomer demanded as an angry murmur when through the éored; they had been chasing the wrong man for the last two hours.  
  
"I am Eradan of Pelargir," the man replied. "May I ask why I am being apprehended?"  
  
"Why were you fleeing from us?" Grimhelm demanded.  
  
"I was not aware you were following me," the man said glibly. " Is this not the road to the East? I was merely travelling home, there is no crime in that." Éomer eyed him darkly.  
  
"And where is your home?" he asked already knowing the answer.  
  
"In the valley of Archanion." Éomer closed his eyes in defeat and he looked back in the direction of Edoras. Then without another word he mounted his horse and spun around. "Eorlingas, back to Edoras!" he shouted and a path formed for their king to take the lead. " We have been deceived," he called to where Elfbold and Grimhelm were guarding their captive. "He rode out while our target remained. Bring him back in chains!" With this he kicked his horse into action and the éored lurched into action once more.  
  
X X X  
  
Lothiriel smiled as she watched her niece devour everything that she placed in front of her. The child was famished after being half-starved for several days, and all she could think of was eating. Eventually she leaned back and breathed out heavily.  
  
"I am so full, I do not think I can move," she laughed contentedly. Lothiriel grinned fondly and moved to clear away the plates.  
  
"That might make my task easier." Lothiriel spun around to see who was standing in the open doorway, but Mayda needed no such confirmation, that voice had plagued her enough times to know who was standing behind her. Upon seeing the furious form of Maydir Lothiriel jumped to protect her niece.  
  
"You!" she hissed. "You are to be thrown into the deepest dungeon! I would not make it worse I were you." Maydir laughed evilly and stepped forward into the light; his expression was manic. Behind her aunt Mayda jumped down from her chair and peered out from beyond her aunt.  
  
"There you are," the man sneered. "You have ruined everything!" Lothiriel scowled at him and stepped forward, but his eyes didn't follow her. She moved to the side and still, he did not pay her any attention. Her eyes flew around and to her left several pans were lined up. Slowly, she started edging towards them.  
  
"I ruined nothing," Mayda hissed seeing what her aunt was planning to do. "Had you been smart uncle," she spat venomously. "You would have remained in Archanion in the house you stole from me, you might have commandeered it for a while." Maydir tilted his head to one side and his eyes gleamed nastily.  
  
"In Archanion?" he asked leeringly. "Girl, should I have remained to let the farmers hunt me down with their pitchforks?" Mayda nodded coolly and she got to her feet feeling terribly bloated. A horrible sneer crossed the man's face and within an instant he had dove forward. Mayda, well used to evading this monster, easily darted to the side and within an instant had crawled under the table to safety. Meanwhile Lothiriel had reached the pans and still Maydir did not pay her the slightest bit of attention.  
  
"Why don't you run Maydir?" Mayda demanded from her hiding place. " My uncle will kill you when he returns!"  
  
"Should I die knowing I ended your pathetic existence then I would die a happy man," Maydir growled and he pushed the table over revealing his niece. She rolled under his grasping hands and through his legs before crawling over to the other side of the kitchen. Maydir wielded around angrily and looked around for a weapon. His eyes fell on a carving knife and within moments it was in his hand. Mayda gulped and looked over to where Lothiriel was now creeping over to Maydir, frying pan in hand.  
  
"If I die, then how does that help you?" Mayda asked shakily, realising she was in an area of the kitchen that was devoid of dangerous looking implements. "Why do you hate me so much?"  
  
"Because you are her daughter," he spat. "She was given everything that ought to have been mine," he added and he kicked one of the chairs clean across the room. "My sister was pathetic, as is her child! Neither of you know a good thing when it is offered to you. Had Maydithil gone to Rohan with that father of yours then I would have become Lord of Archanion, a title I was born to have!" Mayda scrunched up her face in anger and forgetting her peril, stepped forward.  
  
"You gave up your right to that title when you killed the Master's son," she hissed. Maydir twitched visibly and his eyes darkened. "Oh, you would wish to forget about that wouldn't you Maydir? He was innocent and you took his life, you are lucky grandfather merely disowned you and did not turn you in to those that hunted you. You lie, you steal, you...kill. You deserve nothing save death and I hope it finds you soon!" With this Maydir roared and lifted his knife, poised to attack. Lothiriel now took her chance and she leapt forward and hit him as hard as she could across the back of his head.  
  
The blow was blinding, and after a few moments of stumbling Maydir came to his senses. He spun around and his eyes fell on the young woman he had until now not realised was in the room.  
  
"You," he growled and he charged at her, knocking the frying pan from her hands. Lothiriel stumbled backwards and she looked up as the terrible man hovered over her, the large carving knife gleaming in his hand. " I am going to enjoy this..." He pulled his arm back, getting ready to strike and Lothiriel closed her eyes and protected her face, her thoughts flying to her husband.  
  
'Oh Éomer' she cried inwardly, but the blow did not come, and eventually a warm trickling feeling started to grow stronger on her ankle. Daring to open one eye she looked to the little trickle of blood that was rolling down her ankle. Panting slightly she looked up and her eyes fell on a very dumfounded Maydir. His expression was one of complete bewilderment, but the most striking thing was the silver blade thrust through his chest.  
  
After a time – what seemed like an age, but what must have been mere seconds – Maydir fell to his knees revealing a young girl with tears trickling down her face, her hand still firmly attached to the handle of the giant knife. With one last look of surprise at the blade sticking through his ribcage, the despicable man let out a his last breath and fell to the side dead.  
  
Mayda looked down at her hands covered in the sticky blood of her uncle, and for a long time she just stared.  
  
X X X  
  
Just an epilogue left now. I'm glad you're all enjoying it and that this ending is good enough. I wanted to have Éomer kick his slimy butt, but I thought this would give Mayda the power she needed to overcome her terrible experiences. 


	13. Epilogue

The heir of Théodred  
  
Epilogue  
  
As Éomer led his riders into Edoras he was half expecting to find the village burning to the ground and a massacre underway, but everything appeared oddly normal. As they rode up the lane to the Golden Hall he heard murmurs of 'Maydir' and he grew so anxious he could have sworn his stomach was turning itself into knots. Before the king reached the steps leading up to his palace a flurry of activity caught his eyes and he caught sight of his wife and sister pushing through the crowds and running towards him. He dismounted and rushed to meet them.  
  
"Mayda?" he uttered taking his wife's hand in his firmly. Eowyn and Lothiriel exchanged a dark look and they led Éomer into the palace. His heart was racing as they led him through the corridors until finally they stopped outside a room Éomer had once frequented often: Théodred's old chambers. He took a deep breath and pushed the door open. A cold burst of air hit him straight in the face and he blinked despite himself. He rubbed his eyes and walked in to find the shutters banging in the fresh wind. The room appeared empty and he ambled over to the window and looked out to find a chain of sheets hanging out. He let out a deep sigh and shook his head.  
  
"Where is she?" Lothiriel asked frantically, searching under furniture. Eowyn looked in and closed her eyes in a similar reaction to Éomer's.  
  
"What happened?" Éomer asked looking to his sister. "Where is the child?" Eowyn looked to her sister-in-law for an explanation. She of course had heard the story, but it was Lothiriel's to tell.  
  
"As you must know Maydir remained behind after you went out to find him," Lothiriel explained sitting down on the bed that once belonged to Théodred. Éomer nodded, looking out the window on to the plains of Rohan. " He followed Mayda and I to the kitchens where he tried to assault her. I distracted him with a blow to the head, and he turned to...kill me." At this Éomer turned around in horror and he rushed to his wife cupping her face with a large hand.  
  
"How do you fair?" he asked. Lothiriel smiled graciously.  
  
"I fair well my love," she said with a smile. "It was our niece who saved me, she...stuck that monster with a carving blade. He...died." Éomer's jaw dropped slightly.  
  
"And Mayda, is she unhurt?" he asked hurriedly. Lothiriel nodded, her worried expression returning.  
  
"She was very shaken and Eowyn and I calmed her and left her here to await your return, for we felt that only you could still her fears," she explained. "It would appear she was more distraught than she appeared to us."  
  
"We have to find her brother," Eowyn said calmly. "Your wife and I do not know her haunts and boltholes, only you can find her." Éomer thought hard and looked once more to the window, his mind wandering to the woods that loomed to the south where the affluent swimming pool lay. It was a place he had found much solace as a child. Many a time Théodred had been sent to find his young cousin and it would always be his first and only place to look as Éomer would always be there.  
  
"I will find her and bring her home..."  
  
X X X  
  
After a quick discussion with the guards manning the city gates it transpired that a small person had indeed left the village on horseback and had headed south in a hurry. Confidant in his suspicions, Éomer set off at a leisurely pace. He was tired from the day's events and would be happy for a chance to relax in the pool himself.  
  
Trotting slightly behind Lothiriel followed. She was joining her husband for two reasons. She desperately wanted to find Mayda and see the child was well, but the prevailing reason was her fear. She no longer felt perfectly safe in Meduseld and would not leave her strong husband's protection.  
  
They rode on for an hour, until they breeched the tree line and left their steeds grazing in the tall grass. Éomer walked ahead slightly and slowly crept out from behind the trees as the swimming pool came into sight. His eyes instantly fell on the small solitary figure sitting on the makeshift swing, swaying slightly from side to side. Mayda had evidently found a pair of Théodred's britches, which she had tied tightly with a belt, though it did look slightly ludicrous. She had left her shift on to cover her battered form and looked completely at ease with herself and the surroundings. Éomer approached slowly and sat down on a smooth boulder a few feet from his niece.  
  
"How did you know how to find me?" Mayda asked curiously. She did not seem distressed and this puzzled Éomer.  
  
"I thought about where I would have gone if I were you," he said softly and he looked behind him and indicated for Lothiriel to reveal herself. Mayda looked up as her aunt walked out from the trees and she grinned.  
  
"Am I in trouble for running away?" she asked and for the first time she seemed slightly worried. Éomer laughed out loud and shook his head.  
  
"Never!" he chuckled and Lothiriel joined him on the boulder, having removed her gown revealing her shift and bare feet. She wiggled her toes on the cold boulder, which made both Éomer and Mayda smile fondly.  
  
"How do you feel my darling?" Lothiriel asked. Mayda shrugged her shoulders and started swinging to and fro.  
  
"I feel wicked," Mayda finally answered. "Though had I not done what I did, then I would have lost my aunt and I could not bare that!" Lothiriel and Éomer smiled at each other and in a moment of complete folly and jest Éomer reached over and nudged his wife. She managed a shocked little utterance before she toppled into the cool pool spluttering and splashing. Mayda joined her uncle in his laughter and she climbed to her feet on the swing.  
  
"Husband!" Lothiriel cried in feigned-outrage. "I demand that you come and rescue me. What should you do if I were to tell you I cannot swim?" Éomer laughed even louder.  
  
"Then I should call you a liar darling, for you take to the water as a bird takes to the air," he said and he backed away from her splashing. Lothiriel waded over to the boulders and climbed out dripping wet. Éomer smiled lovingly at her.  
  
"Oh I would not seem so pleased with myself if I were you my lord," the dripping wet queen said with a wicked smile. "You forget, I grew up in the presence of three brothers. I can win any such match!" Éomer laughed bowed dramatically. Lothiriel instantly took her chance and she dived at him taking him around the shoulders and throwing him over her knee into the water. She dived in after him and a dunking competition developed. All the while Mayda watched from above, until finally both king and queen surfaced laughing merrily. They called a truce, but it was not long lived as the little girl now dived down from her swing and dragged her uncle and aunt under the water.  
  
Their game continued for a long time until all were giddy with mirth and swam over to the shallows where comfortably smooth boulders formed lounging shapes, enabling the small family to relax in the glorious pool. Now it would seem it was time for questions.  
  
"How did you find out Maydir remained behind?" Mayda asked after a long silence. Éomer smiled dryly and explained of their chase with the scoundrel Eradan, who had since been found out as a companion of Maydir's; one of three men that had come out of Pelargir, a town of Gondor, shortly after Maydir's return and were a frightful bunch. It would seem that Maydir had paid Eradan to distract the king and his men and he would pay dearly for his treachery.  
  
"May I ask you a question in return Mayda?" Éomer asked softly once he had finished his explanation. Mayda nodded soberly. "Do you think you will be content to remain in Meduseld with Lothiriel and I, as our..." The king paused and looked slightly bashful.  
  
"As our daughter," Lothiriel finished, casting her husband a loving smile. Mayda's eyes went wide and she looked from one anxious face to the next. Eventually her face split into a wide grin and she nodded vigorously.  
  
"Of course!" she cheered and then looked thoughtful. "As long as I do not have to be taught by Master Stupidson!" Éomer and Lothiriel laughed out loud and held out their arms to the girl, who threw herself into them, embracing her foster-parents firmly despite her aches and pains. As the afternoon wore on a feeling of peace and tranquillity emanated from the pool as the little family enjoyed the waning summer in complete joy and happiness, pushing each other under the water, blissfully enjoying family life.  
  
X X X  
  
The End  
  
Fluffy chapter, but hey. I'm thinking of doing maybe a mini series about Mayda, Éomer, Lothiriel, Eowyn...etc. What do you think? Good or bad idea? 


	14. Princesses and Miscreants

From here on I will be posting vignettes or substantial stories concerning Mayda Theodri and her new life in Edoras. I am including them in this story so that people who liked 'The heir of Théodred' can read on about its heroine and to save a lot of confusion with posting a new story and trying to explain who this girl is. Anyway, I just wanted to enforce that this is no longer part of the main story, but a continuation of the character's life. I will only post when the stories are complete, so updating will not be as frequent from now on. Though this first one is rather short :D and merely for the purpose of introducing three characters that will feature predominantly from now on.  
  
The heir of Théodred  
  
Princesses and Miscreants  
  
Mayda ambled along the corridor lazily. She was shattered from the morning's activities and was more than ready to tuck into the lunch that she knew was being served from the smell that was wafting in from the great hall. Well aware that she was hardly dressed for court in her riding gear and that she smelled substantially like horse, she still continued on to the hall. She was greeted with many kinds stares and waves as she walked in and headed straight to her favoured seat. Luckily for her, her aunt was not present or the young queen would have sent her straight back to change into more appropriate garb. King Éomer was amongst the courtiers and Mayda dropped down next to him on the bench.  
  
"You smell," he said simply as she reached out to serve herself.  
  
"As do you on occasion, though I say nothing of it," the girl retorted cheerfully and she tucked in greedily. Éomer laughed out loud and ruffled her hair fondly. Over the year that Mayda had been living with them at Meduseld he had grown so attached to her that now neither he or his wife could imagine a time where she was not there with them. Certainly the eight- year-old had entirely come into her own and was loved by all, but she still was known to mope on occasion and Éomer was well aware that this was because she missed companions her own age. The village's children often gave the young rogue a wide birth, falsely believing her to be haughty and boring – despite the girl's regular adventures that were well known across the entire village.  
  
"How has your day been?" Éomer asked his niece. Mayda shrugged her shoulders and continued to chew on her mouthful of bread and ham. " I did not see you this morning at breakfast. I cannot fathom how you rise ere the sun each day and ride off without a morsel of food inside of you. I believe your aunt will be delighted once your mentor returns and order along with him!" Mayda swallowed and chuckled.  
  
"Not a chance," she said with a mischievous grin. "Master Hamlingson has no desire to instil order in me. He's even more anarchic than I and you know it! That's why I love him and do not try to burn his desk to the ground." Éomer grinned broadly and nodded. Lothiriel had been quite taken aback by his desire to employ the services of the bizarre Lore Master from Minas Tirith, but upon his arrival she had seen the cunning in her husband's plan as Mayda fell instantly for his adventurous tales and his peculiar countenance. "As for my day I rode as far as I could to the North in an attempt to find something fun to do, but I found nothing that sparked my curiosity so returned home." Suddenly she perked up a bit. "I did catch sight of a stag and attempted to shoot him with my bow, but I missed by this much..." She indicated a few inches with her grubby fingers. Éomer chuckled.  
  
"That was a fine shot then my lady," he said and he wiped his hands having finished his lunch. "I should take you hunting once more and you shall show me, but now I must return to pressing business." Mayda's face fell and she looked down at her meal dejectedly. Éomer smiled fondly and leaned down resting his chin on her shoulder. "Enjoy your time off while you still can. Instead of travelling North to the bare mountains, go South the forest and explore!" With this he tickled her briefly sending her into fits of laughter before he kissed the top of her head and walked off. Within minutes the girl shovelled down the rest of her food and headed off herself in the direction of the main doors. The sun was still high in the sky giving her plenty of time for another outing, so she headed towards the stables and decided she was well in the mood for a swim.  
  
Within an hour she had reached the forest brim and she jumped off her steed Lindnîn, (she had been Mayda's birthday present from Éomer), a descendent of Brego, and let her run loose in the meadow while she made her way through the thin layer of trees separating her from the swimming pool. As she approached she heard several voices and lots of splashing. She frowned deeply and peered round a large tree to see three children she recognised from Edoras frolicking in the pool. With a heavy grimace she retreated and leant against the tree deep in thought. She had no idea that others knew of this little retreat and she felt quite put out that she had to share it with other children. She decided to leave the pool for an hour and take her uncle's advice. With a mind set on exploring she set out into the thick forest, her short blade (her birthday gift from Faramir) held tightly in her hand should she come across something sinister. Unfortunately for her – she would love a bit of excitement – nothing out of the ordinary happened, though she did run across a ruined fort that could have been an outlook post before the forest engulfed it. After deciding it to claim it as her own she headed back to pool and to her annoyance found the children were still enjoying the pool. Grimly thinking of the return journey with nothing to show for it she decided to show herself. Making sure she put her sword away she stepped out from her cover.  
  
"Hello," she called to them, unable to hide the petulance of her tone. They looked around in surprise and seeing who it was cast each other significant looks.  
  
"What do you want?" the ringleader of the trio, a feisty looking girl, demanded wading out of the water and stepping out of the water. Mayda stared at her in an unimpressed fashion and shook her head.  
  
"I came for a swim," she said ignoring the territorial behaviour of the little gang.  
  
"Well we're swimming here right now," the girl said defensively. " And here in Rohan, you royals don't have priority to everything!" Mayda frowned and tilted her head to one side.  
  
"What makes you think that is what I believe?" she asked sounding putout. The children exchanged a glance once more, before shrugging.  
  
"Well we're not going!" the only boy of the trio eventually stated. Mayda shrugged.  
  
"I would not wish for you to go on my account," she said trying to sound as diplomatic as she could, perfectly covering her grumpiness at being treated like a common thief and bully. "I would though ask that you allow me to join you? It is stiflingly hot and I would love to bathe before I return home." The trio of children looked at each other once more and eventually the leader nodded roughly.  
  
"If you must," she said and Mayda nodded graciously.  
  
"I thank you," she said softly and she shrugged off her shirt and her boots revealing her sword and the curved Elven knife she had been given by the King of the Reunited Kingdom as a gift, he had thought very highly of her grandfather and wished to honour him somehow. She kept it strapped around her chest for emergencies. Well aware that she was being watched she undid both scabbard and knife and left them to the side feeling vulnerable. She rolled up her britches slightly before paddling into the water. The children swam over to the swing and Mayda pouted slightly despite herself as that had been her desired destination. She contented herself by swimming over to the waterfall and playing in the spray as the others watched her suspiciously.  
  
"Why do you hate me so much?" Mayda eventually called to the from behind the curtain of water.  
  
"Who says we hate you?" one of them called back, though from their tone it was pretty evident that they did dislike her a great deal.  
  
"It just seems that way," Mayda said softly and she sighed heavily thinking back to her days in Archanion where she had many friends. Though her life there was miserable, she still had children to play with...children that didn't shun her for being who she was. They played in silence for a long time until Mayda wanted to use the swing badly and she swam out from the waterfall to find it deserted. The children were in fact inspecting her blades. "What are you doing?" Mayda demanded sounding slightly angry. She never liked anyone touching her weapons as they were her livelihood and such precious gifts. Startled the children grabbed them and ran. " Hey!" Mayda shouted angrily and she ran after them through the woods, forgetting her boots and her old shirt. Soon they breeched the woods and Mayda saw that the children too had come on horse. As they mounted and kicked their horses into motion she looked about and finally saw her steed. She whistled loudly and Lindnîn came running. Within instants Mayda had dragged herself onto her back and was in pursuit of the thieving children.  
  
The chase was a long one and the children headed not in the direction of Edoras, but to the East down the borders of the White Mountains. As Mayda started closing in on them – Lindnîn was one of the Mearas, stronger and faster than the horses these children rode – they jumped down and ran back into the forest. Mayda followed quickly and sprinted to keep up with them. Darting to and fro, splitting up and rejoining, passing their bounty from one to another, the miscreants tried to lose the princess, but Mayda had a keen eye and never lost track of her weapons.  
  
Finally with a stroke of luck they ran into a clearing at the centre of which lay the remains of a fire. The place had a foul stench and the remains of rabbits and fish littered the ground. Had Mayda been paying attention she instantly would have recognised the place for what it was: an Orc camp, but in her anger she saw only her possessions and in this open ground she had the greater speed and caught up with the boy-thief. She tackled him to the ground and there was a scuffle for the blades. In an instant Mayda laid hands on her short sword and unsheathed it, pressing it to the boy's throat.  
  
"I would return my possessions to me if I were you," she said evilly looking at her sheathed knife the boy held. He gulped and handed it to her, she barely had enough time to lift her britches and fasten it to her calf when she heard a foul laughter in the woods to the east of the clearing. Jumping up, the girl released her captive and despite themselves the two young children huddled together as the laughter grew closer.  
  
"We're in an orc encampment," the boy hissed. Mayda nodded and rolled her eyes.  
  
"I know," she hissed back crossly and she gripped her sword harder. She was about to suggest running when she felt something strike the back of her head. Her eyes swam with tears before white clouds filled her vision and she fell down unconscious.  
  
X X X  
  
"Oh a tasty treat, haven't had one of them in a long time," a foul voice cackled, causing Mayda to open her eyes with a start. Rough bonds had her pinned to a tree and beside her the other children lay whispered to each other in frightened tones. Mayda wiggled her leg and was relieved to feel the tight leather strap she had tied her knife to her leg with. Her sword was gone, but at least they were still armed.  
  
"Hey you," Mayda whispered harshly catching the attention of the smaller girl who lay by her legs. All the children stopped and looked to her in fear. "Don't look so frightened!" she ordered softly. "We're going to get out of this." They looked disbelieving.  
  
"How can we? There are three of them," the boy countered.  
  
"Yeah, and we're tied to a tree," the leader added a lot less boldly now. Mayda nodded quickly and looked to the younger girl.  
  
"I have a knife hidden on my left leg, if you roll onto your side you can undo your bonds on it," she instructed. The children looked unconvinced, something that caused Mayda to sigh exasperatedly. "Don't look at me like that. I don't want to be their dinner either," she said urgently and she lifted her left leg slightly, trying to dislodge the knife sheath. After eyeing the young princess cautiously the leader girl finally nodded.  
  
"Just do it Laiken," she complained under her breath. The young girl nodded resolutely and rolled onto her side and started to rub her bonds on the blade. Eventually she cut through and undid her ties.  
  
"Now what?" this Laiken girl asked softly. Mayda looked at the three orcs and sized them up. She had fought orcs twice before since her coming into Rohan when she came across them on her journeys. The most she had taken on was two, but perhaps she could distract them enough to give the others a chance to get away.  
  
"Untie me and I shall distract them," Mayda ordered. The others stared at her incredulously. Mayda gave them an urgent look. " Trust me okay? Once I've led them away you can untie the others and make your way back to the horses!" The children conferred softly once more until finally the leader nodded.  
  
"Very well, but if you desert us, I will not pass to the halls of waiting, but shall remain and haunt your miserable days," she said roughly. Mayda laughed despite herself and nodded.  
  
"Very well, that sounds fair!" Laiken started discreetly untying her bonds whilst the leader looked at her with an unreadable look. Eventually as Mayda felt the rope come loose she spoke.  
  
"I'm Arin," she said shamefully. "Sorry we...sorry we stole your blades." Mayda grinned and shrugged, before reaching down and grabbing her knife. With this she jumped to her feet.  
  
"Hey you foul fiends, should you wish to make a meal out of me then you are out of luck!" Herewith she scarpered as fast as her legs could carry her in the opposite direction to the horses. To her relief all three followed her in their rage leaving the other three captive.  
  
The orcs were faster than Mayda had anticipated and they chased her through the trees with precision and stealth. It was tough keeping ahead of them, but Mayda kept it up and once she had given the children enough time to escape she turned around and led the orcs back in the direction of the camp. As she dove out of the trees and into the plains she saw the children had fled and looked around for her steed. She whistled desperately, but Lindnîn did not come. The footsteps behind her signified that the orcs were upon her and she ducked down, an Orcen blade missing the top of her head by mere inches and she stuck the foul beast that had tried to kill her. It fell to the ground with a grunt and the girl looked around to see the other two had her surrounded.  
  
"That was a mistake girl," one of them sneered and it approached with a large hooked blade of Uruk origin – obviously a stolen object. Mayda was beginning to think that perhaps she had overestimated her abilities when a horse cried from behind her. She spun around in time to find Arin and her steed run down the foul Orc that was about to attack her from behind. The boy then appeared from the cover of the trees and ran down the remaining Orc. Mayda breathed out in relief and looked up at her rescuers with gratitude. Then with a small nod she looked over the corpses until she found her short sword. She rubbed the grime from the sheath and tied it back to her belt.  
  
Only now did Lindnîn appear over a bluff, led by Laiken on her own steed. Once they got near Mayda mounted her horse and stroked her main lovingly.  
  
"I'm sorry I took her, I just didn't want anything to happen to her, she's such a fine creature," Laiken managed apologetically. Mayda grinned and shrugged.  
  
"No harm done," she said cheerfully and the children faced off, looking from one to the other triumphantly. "I thank you for saving my life," Mayda eventually said nobly. The children giggled and shook their heads.  
  
"You saved ours didn't you?" the boy said and he half-saluted her. " Mathain at your service my princess." Mayda blushed slightly and looked away from the boy to the girls. They were grinning happily at the princess, a strange bond that you can only have with someone who you have faced death with, had grown between them and now they were bound in friendship.  
  
"I'm starving, let's get back!" Arin finally said and the others agreed wholeheartedly.  
  
"We can sneak into the kitchens in Meduseld if you like," Mayda suggested as they trotted off in a small line. " They always have amazing food stashed away, but I know how to find it!" The children looked as though they had been promised their weight in gold and nodded delightedly.  
  
So off they went, firm friends by the time they reached Edoras in fits of laughter at each other's tales. They laughed even louder when they received many odd stares from the villagers. They were all clad in britches and none wore boots after all. None stared harder than Lothiriel as Mayda led her newfound friends through the great hall in the direction of the corridors beyond. She looked like she very much wanted to say something, but Éomer joined her side and whispered something in her ear that made her smile. Before Mayda disappeared through the door she looked back and caught the wink Éomer granted her. She grinned gleefully before sneaking off to cause more mischief, only now, with the company of children just like her!  
  
X X X  
  
Short, but sets the scene for later stories. 


	15. Elfwine: Part One

A/N – I did want to do these stories in chronological order, but I don't know when I'm going to come up with ideas and I would quite like to write this story now (idea courtesy of Lady scribe of avendell).  
  
The heir of Théodred  
  
Elfwine  
  
IVth Age, year 3, November 16  
  
Mayda awoke to the sound of hushed whispers coming from behind her door. It took her a moment to figure out that it was Éomer and Lothiriel who were speaking...no arguing. She frowned worriedly; her foster-parents never argued. She climbed out of bed tiredly and walked over to the door. She opened the door to a crack silently and looked up at their anxious faces.  
  
"We should tell her today," Lothiriel whispered. Éomer shook his head ardently.  
  
"Any day, just not today, not on her birthday!" Mayda made a small utterance of surprise, she couldn't believe she had been so disorientated to have forgotten that it was her tenth birthday. Éomer and Lothiriel looked down in shock and saw her face barely visible in the gloom of her room.  
  
"Happy birthday!" they cheered guiltily and swooped down on her with kisses and embraces. Mayda pushed their argument out of her mind as Lothiriel threw the shutters open to reveal the veritable mountain of gifts lying at the bottom of Mayda's grand bed. She yelped with joy and fell upon them. After fifteen minutes the decorative cloth they had been wrapped in lay discarded and Mayda was amazed and touched by her gifts. Her absolute favourite was a grand sword made from black iron that had once belonged to her father. The parchment attached had held a note from her aunt Eowyn, it had merely said – 'For my Mayda, a shieldmaiden of Rohan'. It was such a fine blade that Mayda could only stare at its grandeur.  
  
"I remember that sword," Éomer murmured when he saw it and he fell silent for a while, filled with silent memories of his cousin. Mayda of course attempted to lift the grand blade, but being yet a small child – despite her now reaching ten, she still remained slightly on the small side – she could only lift the hilt.  
  
"Perhaps we shall have it forged again so that it might be suitable for a lady," Lothiriel suggested, but Mayda shook her head adamantly.  
  
"No, if I cannot learn to wield this mighty blade then I should not be fit for battle," she whispered, watching as the light danced over the highly polished dark iron. "Someday I shall be its equal as papa once was," she added as an afterthought. "Does it have a name?" With this she looked to Éomer and he smiled gently.  
  
"Yes," he said proudly. "Anarel, once known as the dark blade Anguirel. It is a fine sword Mayda, and should you wear it I would not fear for your safety." Mayda smiled humbly and felt an immense feeling of vulnerability. So she shuffled over to where her uncle was sitting on the bed and sat down next to him leafing through a book she had been given by the dear Lore Master. Éomer smiled in a resigned way at Lothiriel who was looking at him urgently. He shook his head firmly and placed an arm around his niece's shoulders. Suddenly Mayda jumped to her feet.  
  
"Oh no," she groaned and she rushed to find some britches and an old shirt. With these she rushed into her dressing room leaving Éomer and Lothiriel slightly perplexed, though Lothiriel's expression soon turned into one of silent urgency.  
  
"I do not know why you wish to delay our telling her my love," she said softly. "I feel she will be thrilled at our news." Éomer shrugged meekly.  
  
"Perhaps she will be, though I do not wish to risk her feeling rotten on her birthday," he said and then he smiled charmingly and placed a hand on his wife's stomach. "Is my elation not enough?" Lothiriel grinned happily.  
  
"Of course my love, though I wish for our foster-daughter to know of our happy news..."  
  
"Mathain and Laiken are going to kill me," a muffled voice came from the dressing room and moments later Mayda burst out attempting to fasten her old boots. Éomer and Lothiriel half-smiled at each other. " Last night, I was meant to meet them, they had some sort of surprise in store. Oh they are going to be furious!"  
  
"Well they certainly will be if you wake them at first light," Éomer chuckled and he climbed to his feet. "Come, join us for breakfast." Mayda chewed on her lip in deep thought for a moment, before reluctantly nodding her head.  
  
"Very well, but I must apologise soon," she said sheepishly. "Do you not remember what they did last time I let them down uncle?" Éomer suppressed a snort of laughter by turning it into a spluttering cough. Mayda smiled tiredly at him. "I take it you do. It took months for my eyebrows to grow back," she said anxiously feeling at her thinned eyebrows instinctively. She shuddered at the memory of waking up to find her friends crouched over her with a barber's blade in their hands.  
  
"Well we won't let them do that again," Lothiriel said with a smile and she walked over to the girl and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. " Come on, I hear the kitchen's are preparing a veritable feast in your honour with all your favourite dishes." Mayda's face lit up at this news.  
  
"Even sweet pastries and those treacle things that..." Lothiriel beamed at her.  
  
"Though I certainly don't approve of such things first thing in the morning, I daresay that they might have prepared those delicacies for you my darling," she said with a twinkle in her eye. Mayda punched the air in triumph and ran ahead of her foster-parents, leaving Éomer to kiss Lothiriel's cheek with an adoring smile.  
  
"If you disapprove so my love, then why did you organise it?" he asked charmingly. Lothiriel shrugged her shoulders and donned a thoughtful expression.  
  
"Out of love," she eventually replied with a smile.  
  
X X X  
  
An hour later a much rounder Mayda waddled out of the great hall feeling bloated and yet so wonderfully satisfied. She had delighted in trying every dish the cooks had presented to the royal party and even when she began to feel like a stuffed beast, her sweet tooth would not relinquish its hold over her. Sweet foods were quite a rarity in blustery Rohan. With only a few months of suitable weather, it had not the climate to grow the sugar cane. A few regions in the south of Gondor were able to grow the crop for half the year, yet the demand for it in the North was high ensuring it came at a high price and Rohan rarely traded in it. It would seem though that the tenth birthday, an important day in the lives of the Rohirrim, of the royal princess was a suitable occasion to dip into the small stockpile.  
  
As a result of the rarity of such fine cuisine Mayda had only stopped eating when her stomach protested so much at being stretched beyond all measure, that it threatened to bring it all back up again. She had reluctantly abandoned the feast in dire need of fresh air – despite it being rather cold at this time of year – her pockets stuffed with as many treats as she could fit into them. It would seem though, that her timing was quite unfortunate.  
  
"Well well, if it isn't our good friend the princess," the voice of a putout sounding Mathain came. Mayda looked up with a look of pure guilt to find all three of her best friends standing on one of the lower steps. The twins were looking nothing short of ticked off, but their friend Arin was staring at Mayda with a confused expression.  
  
"Why are you so fat?" she finally asked. Mayda looked down at her belly and realised that her shirt was straining over it. To call her fat was in itself quite outrageous, as all four companions were nothing but skin and bones due to the fact that they were always running about and rarely home for meals. The young princess quickly pulled her bloated stomach in and made her way down to the other children uncomfortably.  
  
"I have just eaten my weight in sugar I swear," she groaned and she reached into her pockets and showed her friends the leftovers she had brought them. In an instant the foul looks had fallen from the twins' faces and the three children pounced on the tarts and cakes. Within no time all four were lying on the frost bitten grass that adorned the slopes of Edoras that were too steep to build on, bellies full and with smiles on their faces, Mayda's forgetfulness from the night before seemingly forgotten.  
  
"I could lie here all day," Arin said contentedly. Her friends instantly looked at her with identical disgruntled expressions.  
  
"I couldn't," Mathain said.  
  
"Too cold," Laiken countered and she shivered.  
  
"Aye, and boring," Mayda added. "But until this..." She patted her full belly cheerfully. "Goes down I am helpless to do anything save lie here." The others chuckled.  
  
"At least it's the weather for it," Laiken said cheerfully.  
  
"Yes, it could be raining," Mathain added, but then he added quickly in order to save them from a potential sod's law situation, "I mean not yet..." The others laughed out loud at his superstitions before looking back to the chilly yet clear blue sky that hung over them.  
  
"So what did you get for your birthday?" Arin asked dreamily. Mayda opened her mouth to speak, her thoughts wandering to where her mighty new sword lay on her bed still swathed in the cloth she had received it in.  
  
"Oh that reminds me! You haven't even seen what we got you yet, you have to get up!" Laiken suddenly burst out and she jumped to her feet. Mayda looked at her in disbelief, but to her horror was dragged to her feet and half-way across Edoras until they reached the house that Mathain and Laiken shared with their three sisters and their parents. Hand on stomach and sure that she was going to be sick, Mayda fought back the urge to retch as her friends rushed inside.  
  
Moments later though these thoughts were pushed clean from her minds as her eyes fell on her 'present'.  
  
"By the Valar!" she gasped and she dropped to her knees. " Oh he is so sweet!" Her hands fell on the pup that bounded at her happily.  
  
"It turns out that old Greda was carrying pups in the end," Laiken said and she couldn't keep from smiling when she saw how happy Mayda seemed.  
  
"And there was us thinking she was getting fat," Mathain said with one eyebrow raised as though he still thought their old hound Greda was rather fat. "We've sold most of the pups, but we begged papa if we could give you one." Then without warning Mayda had jumped to her feet and thrown her arms around the twins' necks.  
  
"This is the best present ever!" she squealed excitedly. " Come, let us show my aunt and uncle." Herewith four excited children and one extremely excited pup rushed up the hill to the steps of the great hall. They burst in to find that most of the courtiers were still dining, but everyone stopped and stared as the little ensemble skidded to a halt on the polished floors. Mayda ignored their curious glances and reached down to pick up her new pet. As she approached her aunt and uncle their expressions were ones of unease.  
  
"Look!" the girl cried when she reached them and she dropped the pup on the table, oblivious to how disgruntled they looked. "This is what Laiken and Mathain wanted to see me about." Éomer adopted a confounded expression.  
  
"Have you truly never seen a dog before?" he asked, blindly hoping that this was the reason she had burst in with this animal. Mayda beamed at him and jumped down next to him on the bench as her new pet began to lick one of the empty plates.  
  
"No silly," she giggled. "They have given him..." She paused a moment and leaned down, studying the underbelly of the animal. "I mean her to me for my birthday."  
  
"O..oh, that is wonderful!" Lothiriel managed elbowing Éomer in his ribs, he had looked as though he wanted very much to express how much of a bad idea he thought this was. Both had contemplated the idea of giving Mayda a pet before, and had independently come to the conclusion that it could only mean more chaos.  
  
"What are you going to call it?" Arin asked somewhat jealously. Mayda shrugged happily and jumped off the bench again, picking up her new prize and dropping the fluffy pup on the floor.  
  
"Come, let us make her a bed in my chamber," she said and she ran off with her friends and the little pup in pursuit leaving Éomer and Lothiriel slightly anxious. Eventually Lothiriel shook herself out of her of her thoughts involving lots of mess and chaos and she burst out laughing.  
  
"Look at us," she laughed. "We are acting as though she had just walked in with an orc as a pet, it is only a small pup my love. Perhaps it will help her deal better with our news." Éomer smiled and nodded.  
  
"As usual, you are right my love," he said.  
  
"May we tell her this evening then?" Lothiriel asked fidgeting from her giddiness at finding out she was with child. Éomer sighed heavily and he nodded. The young woman cheered happily and threw her arms around his neck planting a kiss firmly on his cheek. "Oh she will be delighted, I just know it!"  
  
Éomer sighed, hoping this would not be the first time his wife's women's intuition failed her.  
  
X X X  
  
Being still full from breakfast the young princess passed up lunch and instead spent the entire day getting acquainted with her new pup. It had taken her a long time to find an adequate name, but eventually, after her eyes had fallen on a book she was reading about one of the heroes from the first age – Túrin Turambar – she knew instantly what to call the dog.  
  
"Lalaith," she said firmly, thinking of the little sister of Túrin who perished when she was yet in childhood. Her companions looked to her curiously. "It means 'laughter'. She seems to be such a happy little spirit. It is quite fitting." Her friends nodded in agreement and they spent the entire afternoon playing with Lalaith. When dinner time rolled by Mayda's friends were reluctant to go home, yet their reluctance was nothing compared to the princess' reluctance at being forced into the bath and dressed in one of her finest gowns for the evening feast where many important guests had been invited to – including, unbeknownst to the young rascal, her beloved aunt Eowyn and uncle Faramir and young cousin Elboron.  
  
Eventually the time came to make her way to the great hall and Mayda was summoned by a knock on her door. She greeted her foster-parents at the door brushing off their praise on how wonderful she looked with complaints of how she felt she looked like a show pony. She found it near impossible to tear herself away from her whining little pup, but after several attempts to sneak her out of the room, Éomer dragged her away while Lothiriel shut the door.  
  
They made their way along the corridors chatting amiably about the guests until suddenly they reached the hall and Mayda let out an actual screech of happiness when she saw the party from Ithilien were sitting at the head table. Manners and courtesy completely thrown out the window, the girl bounded across the hall into the awaiting arms of the Prince and Lady of Ithilien.  
  
"Oh you've grown too much!" Eowyn said fondly. Mayda grinned and pulled away looking from one happy face to the other.  
  
"No, Master Hamlingson says that I am still short for my age. Though I am taller than Mathain," she said proudly and her eyes fell on her cousin, who she very much felt of as a younger brother. "Elboron!"  
  
"Mayda!" the infant boy replied with as much vigour as his older cousin. The princess dropped to her knees and pulled the little boy into a powerful embrace. As Éomer and Lothiriel arrived they found Mayda telling the others all about her pup and how unfair it was that she had not been allowed to take Lalaith to dinner with her. Éomer exchanged a fond smile with his sister before he took his seat, both picturing what a fiasco it would have been had they indulged the girl in her request. As the royal party took their seats everyone raised a goblet full of Meduseld's finest wine and toasted to the health and happiness of the young princess. Even Mayda was permitted to drink the wine, but halfway through the feast she hiccupped quite unceremoniously and her goblet was quickly taken from her hand by the nearest adult: Faramir. She gave him her most doe-eyed pouting expression, but it had the opposite affect on him than the one she intended and he burst out laughing.  
  
"You are so much like your aunt," he laughed and he ruffled her neatly pinned hair. This brought a smile back to the young girl's face. "I do not know how you resist her charms," he added looking to Éomer and Lothiriel. Éomer raised his eyebrows.  
  
"She doesn't," he said indicating his wife with a nod of the head. She feigned an insulted utterance and swatted at him with her serviette.  
  
"She is the cat's mother," she said.  
  
"Well cat's mother or no, you still let the girl do as she wishes," Éomer laughed. Lothiriel beamed at her husband.  
  
"Was it not you who I caught sneaking her out to go for a late night hunt when it was well beyond her curfew?" she asked fondly. Her husband looked slightly sheepish and shrugged apologetically.  
  
"Ah so you have started hunting Mayda?" Eowyn asked interestedly. Mayda nodded with an obvious expression.  
  
"I have been hunting for a little short of two years," she said. " Surely I have told you?" Eowyn shook her head, which was enough for the girl to start on a very detailed description of her previous successes and near misses.  
  
And so the hours rolled by in pleasant conversation with a reunited family happily enjoying each other's company. Once the Rohirric drinking songs began, Eowyn jumped to her feet to bring her sleepy three-year-old son to bed. Lothiriel cast Éomer a significant look and he nodded resignedly. So they too excused themselves and led Mayda to her room. Éomer waited in the corridor whilst his wife helped Mayda out of her delicate gown and into her nightdress and then he was 'summoned'. As he entered he found Mayda sitting on the pile of tattered cushions her new pet had managed to shred, her arms around the dog and Lothiriel hovering behind her looking slightly anxious now the time had come. He wrapped an arm around her waist for comfort and support before clearing his throat. The girl looked up curiously.  
  
"There is something we must speak with you of," he said and he gingerly sat down on one of the remaining undamaged cushions next to his foster- daughter. She frowned worriedly and shuffled over to him. Éomer reached up and taking Lothiriel's hand pulled her down at his side.  
  
"Have I done something naughty?" Mayda asked worriedly, casting her dozing pup an anxious glance. Lothiriel quickly shook her head.  
  
"No my darling, of course not!" she said quickly and she reached out and took Mayda's hand.  
  
"Well then what is it?" Mayda asked worriedly. "Are you ill?" Lothiriel shook her head vehemently once more.  
  
"Far from it," she said passionately. "Mayda," she began placing her free hand on her belly. Mayda's eyes fell to her hand and her eyes went wide, guessing what Lothiriel was about to say. "I am with child, we are going to have a baby." Mayda snatched back her hand and she simply stared at Lothiriel's stomach. Éomer looked to his wife darkly, he had been afraid she might react like this. He wrapped an arm around Mayda's small shoulders and shook her slightly.  
  
"Mayda?" he said softly. "Will you not say anything?" Mayda snapped her eyes on him and she opened and closed her mouth wordlessly.  
  
"Uh..." she uttered and she swallowed deeply, unable to say anything, unsure of what to think. An indescribable anger was making her blood boil and her skin creep. She was not well accustomed with the emotion jealousy and was therefore caught out by it. "A baby?" she finally managed incredulously. Lothiriel nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. Mayda jumped to her feet suddenly and she looked down at Lothiriel's distraught face and Éomer's dark one. "I have to..." But what it was she was going to do her foster- parents did not find out as she ran from her room leaving them alone.  
  
X X X  
  
Okay, so I fibbed, I'm not going to finish them all before I post them, because this is going to be quite long. So I'll do it in three, maybe four parts. So here's part one, more to come soon.  
  
A/N – The sword Anarel is Anguirel, a sword from the days of Beleriand, forged again. It was created by and once belonged to Eöl, a dark Elf. It had a famous mate named Anglachal, which belonged to Turin and was buried with him, but the fate of Anguirel is unknown as after Maeglin, Eöl's son, stole it from him it was brought to Gondolin after which nothing more is heard of it. In my version of events it went from Gondolin to Doriath, where it was forged again and given to Galadriel as a gift. She brought it across to the East where she parted with it, because she believed it to have a dark destiny, and eventually it came to the Royal line of Rohan. When it came to Théodred he too sensed a dark side to the blade and did not often fight with it and was thus not buried with it – it seems strange to add so much history to this one item, but I want it to be of importance in a later story. 


	16. Elfwine: Part Two

Thanks for the reviews :)  
  
The Heir of Théodred  
  
Elfwine: Part two  
  
Mayda wasn't sure what to do. All she knew was that she had to get out of Meduseld. So grabbing a decorative blanket that lay on one of the benches lining the corridors she rushed to the nearest entrance. The air was bitterly cold, but the blanket was thick, if not slightly itchy, so the girl managed to keep out most of the biting wind. She followed her feet and they led her down to the wall and out of the village. Once she saw the howes she let out a gasp, they were sparkling. The frost had already laid its claim on the grass and the simbelmynë flowers, though they would never whither, even when snow covered them, they would remain untouched and await the spring when they would be uncovered once more as beautiful as the day they were buried. The torch light from the wall flickered over the frost and had Mayda ever been into the glittering caves, she may have been able to draw a comparison between the two. Setting her jaw firmly she hurried on until she reached the howe she had visited hundreds of times.  
  
"They want to replace me," was the first thing she uttered as she dropped down onto the damp grass.  
  
'Don't be silly,' a small voice in the back of her mind admonished. 'The king needs and heir, you always knew they would have a child someday.' Mayda narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms angrily, trying to ignore her common sense.  
  
"I did not think it would be now," she grumbled and looked dolefully over the yellowish grass of the howe. The sight of the dying grass depressed her even more so she shut her eyes and fell sideways onto the little mound. " I wish I was where you and mamma are," she whispered into the ground.  
  
X X X  
  
Éomer and Lothiriel sat facing Eowyn and Faramir grimly. They had explained everything and after Eowyn's initial gleeful hysteria and Faramir's slightly drunken yet heartfelt congratulations they explained Mayda's reaction to the news.  
  
"I suspected she might react this way," Éomer said gravely. " She is not accustomed to sharing anything. Her whole life she has been without brother or sister." Eowyn smiled.  
  
"It is more than that brother," she said knowingly. " She is abnormally attached to you both because of her ordeals in the past and your saving her from them, then added to that is the fact that she is not your real daughter and may be fearing that you will care more for your own child than her," she explained. Éomer sighed and nodded.  
  
"I know it, and still there is no way that we can reassure that this is not the case," he said gloomily.  
  
"How can you compare the love you feel from one child to the next?" Lothiriel asked sounding upset. "I love Mayda because she is Mayda, the fact that she is the child of my husband's cousin does not even enter my mind when I think of her. She is ours now, and I am sure that when this baby is born, I will love it for who it is, not for the sole reason that it is my child and I am obliged to do so!" Éomer smiled comfortingly at his love and took her hand. The despair on her face was heart breaking for him. "I so wanted her to look forward to the idea of having a little brother or sister." The group fell silent.  
  
"Perhaps," Faramir finally began. "She should return with us to Ithilien. Maybe if she were to spend more time with Elboron then she might grow excited about having a baby around." Everyone stared at him in surprise, for a drunken man it was a remarkably good idea. " What?" Faramir asked sounding alarmed and he felt his face for anything that might explain the sudden attention he was being given. Eowyn smiled lovingly at him and stroked his cheek.  
  
"It is a good idea," she said turning on the others. "It might help us a great deal actually. In two weeks we are receiving an extended visit from two young cousins of my dear husband. They are a little older than my niece, but I feel they would enjoy her company and her familiarity with the area!" Éomer sighed deeply and felt reluctant to let Mayda go when she was unhappy with them.  
  
"I will let her go on one condition," he said with an evil smile. " She takes that pup of hers with her!"  
  
X X X  
  
And so the very next day Mayda found herself packing a large bag. She was very excited to be going to visit Ithilien as it had been over a year since she had been to the hills of Emyn Arnen where the great White House of the Prince and Lady of Ithilien stood. She had spoken briefly to her foster- parents and it had been far from comfortable. She could not keep the jealousy from her tone and her actions and she felt entirely rotten for herself. Éomer had assured her that they would not feel differently about her when the new baby arrived, but she was beyond listening to them.  
  
It was Eowyn who was helping the young girl pack and ensuring she didn't only pack her most ragged and comfortable clothes, but that she also packed some gowns suitable for court as once a month Eowyn and Faramir visited Minas Tirith. Often Eowyn was reduced to sniggering laughter at Mayda's rather haphazard attempts to sneak out the gowns she was placing in the bag, but eventually they were finished.  
  
"You began to tell me of guests auntie, before I..." Mayda grinned sheepishly.  
  
"Before you interrupted me with yet another outburst about a gown I was packing for you?" Eowyn asked with a twinkling smile. Mayda shrugged and bade her continue. "Yes, well in a fortnight we will be opening our doors to Dior and Huor, third cousins of Faramir. They hail from the isle of Tolfalas where their father Galdor is Lord."  
  
"Why are they coming to Emyn Arnen?" Mayda asked curiously. She had heard of Tolfalas of course, the southernmost point of which marked the furthest south point of Gondor Proper. It was supposedly a very warm island for most of the year and the seas sparkled as blue as a summer's sky, lapping at white sands.  
  
"They wish to experience snow I believe," Eowyn said with a grin. " But the primary reason they are coming is that they are to spend four years of learning in Minas Tirith and have been sent by their father to better acquaint themselves with the city and the northern ways."  
  
"How old are they?" Mayda asked beginning to suspect that they might be too old if they were being sent to study.  
  
"The eldest Dior is thirteen and his brother Huor is eleven," Eowyn replied and she smiled at the delighted expression that grew on Mayda's face. "I am sure you will have a wonderful time showing them the ropes!"  
  
"Will uncle Faramir take me hunting?" Mayda asked hopefully. Eowyn smiled and shrugged.  
  
"I am sure he would love to," she said. " I feel my brother will miss taking you hunting very much. He was telling me how he enjoys taking you out on the hunt." Mayda's smile fell and she looked slightly forlorn.  
  
"I love it also," she said gravely and she turned away from her aunt, hiding the tears that were forming in her eyes. Though she was trapped by her jealousy, she was still dreading being apart from her foster-parents, especially as she wasn't sure when she was going to be allowed to return home again. Eowyn rose to her feet and kissed her niece's cheek before leaving her to pack some personal items in a smaller more mobile bag.  
  
X X X  
  
A few hours later after a subdued lunch the party of Ithilien were ready to leave; much sooner than they had intended, but ready nonetheless. Mayda hugged a knapsack close to her front out of which Lalaith's head was barely visible. She held back tears as she faced Éomer and Lothiriel's ashen faces. Then without warning she lunged at them both and buried her faced between them.  
  
"I will write," she promised and moved back when her passenger began to protest at being squashed. Éomer crouched down before her and took her hands in his.  
  
"You have to understand," he said firmly, gripping her small hands tightly. "There is only one Mayda in this world to us and that is you and if you stay away longer than a half-season I am going to ride out to fetch you myself!" Mayda grinned despite herself and nodded.  
  
"Agreed," she said and she bowed her head to her uncle. He smiled and ruffled her hair before kissing her forehead and allowing his wife to say goodbye to the girl. With all the subdued goodbyes over with the party turned to their horses and when all but Mayda were seated she suddenly squeaked and darted off in the direction of the howes.  
  
"Forgot to say goodbye I believe," Lothiriel laughed and then she turned more seriously on Eowyn. "You will look after her for me won't you? Remember, she is afraid of gales and especially thunder. On these occasions she sleeps with one torch lit and also..." Eowyn interrupted her with a chuckle and nodded.  
  
"She will be fine dear sister," she said with a beaming smile. " And besides, you have already told me all this." Lothiriel nodded reluctantly and sought Éomer's hand for comfort. This farewell was turning out to be too much for her with her heightened emotions and tears were slowly rolling down her lovely face. The group upheld a grim silence until Mayda returned and mounted her steed Lindnîn, being sure not to jiggle her little passenger around too much. The pup was already whining to be let loose.  
  
"You will listen to everything your aunt and uncle tell you, and please for the love of the Valar do not tear the White House to the ground, I could not afford the means to rebuild it again," Éomer told the girl with a smile and when she nodded tiredly he turned on his dear sister and her husband. "Do not, under any circumstance – or you will regret it mark my words – give her anything sweet past sundown!" Eowyn nodded.  
  
"I will remember it," she said with a smile and she bowed her head to her brother. "Till we meet again brother, look after my dear sister, I feel she will need it." Then with one last smile she held onto her son tightly and nudged her stallion into action, following as Faramir led the party away. Mayda was the last to leave and she turned around as Lindnîn walked forward bearing her away from her home and her foster-parents. She managed a small wave, but the sight of Lothiriel burying her face in Éomer's shoulder to weep was too much for the girl and she turned around again swallowing hard, reminding herself they were to have a child of their own and would no longer care so for her.  
  
X X X  
  
The journey from the plains of Rohan to the hills of Emyn Arnen was a pleasant one, but after six days of leisurely travel the small party finally reached a crest one morning that overlooked the magnificent lands of the White House of Ithilien and there in a beautiful secluded valley lay the house itself. Mayda smiled with relief, she ached from the long ride and wished very much to sleep in a comfortable bed once more. Within the hour they had reached the stables beside the house and handed their weary horses to the stable hands.  
  
"You look like you could do with a long bath," Eowyn said and she led her niece to a set of chambers, which had a beautiful outlook and were just down the corridor from hers and Faramir's chambers. Once everyone was much more refreshed Mayda was permitted to change into rather less formal clothes than she had arrived in and rushed out into the gardens to find Faramir playing with Lalaith. Their breath was coming out as thick steam, as winter was pressing near and soon the snow would be falling. Upon seeing her master the little pup yelped and tumbled over to her. Mayda grinned and dropped to her knees as Lalaith covered her face in puppy kisses.  
  
"Should you wish to go hunting, my cook tells me the hunters are yet to have caught a deer and he has prepared a dish around venison and is such in much need of us catching one or two," Faramir said walking over to his niece. Mayda's face lit up.  
  
"Truly?" She sounded elated, as was Faramir and Eowyn's plan to keep her mind off being away from home. "Thank you uncle!" Faramir grinned and sat down next to her.  
  
"There is no need to thank me, but if you can shoot a deer then I will have much cause to thank you. Master Damrod can do miracles with some venison and herbs," he said. "Very refined, not like the sludge my brother tries to pass of as fine cuisine," he said with a cheeky grin. Mayda feigned an insulted expression.  
  
"Should you insult my country or my foster-father again uncle, I shall be forced to challenge you to a duel," she said jumping to her feet and finding a broken branch off a nearby tree. Faramir grinned broadly.  
  
"Éomer smells," he said simply and dived for another stick and so their duel began. It was in a state of giddiness that Eowyn found them much later, their sticks lying broken on the ground, lying flat on their backs exhausted from the sparring match. She laughed out loud and let go of her son's hand.  
  
"Papa!" the boy exclaimed and he toppled over to his father and fell down next to him. "Why are you lying down? Are you going to sleep?" Faramir laughed heartily and shook his head.  
  
"No, just resting my boy," he cheered and he wrapped and arm around Elboron's shoulders.  
  
"Are you going hunting?" Elboron asked, his expression turning into one very effective pout. Eowyn laughed and crouched down with her family pulling her young son onto her lap.  
  
"You still cannot go with them my darling," she said. Elboron's pout grew tenfold.  
  
"Why not?" he whined crossing his arms petulantly. Mayda quickly stepped in.  
  
"Because it is really rather boring," she said in a blasé manner. Elboron looked up at his cousin uncertainly. "Oh yes, most of it is sitting in some sort of bush or other in complete and utter silence, and often it is cold and wet and...and...itchy!" Elboron wrinkled his nose, that didn't sound pleasant at all.  
  
"But I want to catch something," he complained. Mayda thought hard and her eyes fell on a half buried toy arrow. She had played with similar things when she was a little girl, they were bulky and had padded ends so they did not hurt, but they could travel long distances when expertly shot. So she reached over and pulled it out of the flower bed.  
  
"You can catch me," she said jumping to her feet. Elboron's upset face finally cracked into a smile and he too jumped to his feet, then lost his balance and fell down, but soon was back on his feet and running off to fetch his toy bow and arrows. Eowyn now looked at her niece with a beaming smile.  
  
"You certainly have a way with young children," she said as she too climbed to her feet. Mayda shrugged her shoulders.  
  
"They are often more fun than older children, were I to play such a game with Mathain or one of the others they would strike me with such force I would end the day covered in many bruises," she said cheerfully and upon seeing her little cousin returning already aiming one of his toy arrows at her, she darted off into the gardens to hide with Lalaith bounding behind her.  
  
"Come let us find her some proper hunting equipment, she is to join the hunt this afternoon," Faramir said climbing to his feet and the merry couple left the children and the pup running in and out of the trees for the rest of the morning.  
  
X X X  
  
The manic laughter of children announced the return of Mayda and little Elboron. They were completely giddy with excitement and mirth and tumbled down onto the divans that lay in the parlour Eowyn was reading in. Looking up Eowyn noted that both were filthy and Mayda was sporting some impressive bruises.  
  
"Elboron," she admonished fondly. " How hard were you striking your cousin?" At this the children burst into laughter once more and Mayda shook her head.  
  
"No auntie, that was my doing," she said. "I am not as agile when I do not know the lay of the land and many times I ended up flat on my face while trying to outrun my cousin."  
  
"And she fell out a tree!" Elboron piped up as he sat up yawning. Eowyn smiled fondly at the two rascals and shook her head.  
  
"And where is Lalaith?" she asked curiously.  
  
"She is attempting to drink from the fountain, she is much tired out," Mayda said climbing to her feet.  
  
"But the fountain is frozen over," Eowyn said with raised eyebrows.  
  
"Yes, but I smashed a hole in the ice for her," Mayda replied. " Auntie may I have something to drink, I am so thirsty!" Eowyn closed her book and climbed to her feet.  
  
"Well we are to have lunch now my darling, we were awaiting your return," she said and she led the children to the informal dining room where Faramir was leaning back by the window smoking a pipe. "Oh curse those hobbits for introducing this habit to you," Eowyn called when she entered the normally bright and airy room to find it smoky.  
  
"It was not the hobbits," Faramir retorted in feigned-defensiveness. " It was Elessar." Eowyn grinned broadly.  
  
"How could I forget, your idol," she said cheerfully and she opened a window slightly before sitting down at the table with the children.  
  
"I wish that I could meet a hobbit," Mayda said gravely.  
  
"Ah, well then you are in luck my girl," Faramir said cheerfully as he took the seat at the head of the table. "We are to visit the White City in a few weeks and I do believe that currently Master Meriadoc Brandybuck, Master Peregrim Took and a Hobbit that goes by the name of Diamond of Long Cleeve, are guests of honour there," he explained. Mayda's eyes went wide, she had heard of course of the great tale of the hobbits and the ring.  
  
"Oh it will be good to see Merry again," Eowyn said as she helped her son with his ham and cheese.  
  
"Why are they in Minas Tirith?" Mayda asked as she too began to eat, feeling famished from the exercise in the garden.  
  
"Indeed they have hardly left since they arrived those three and a half long years ago, they always find reasons to return," Faramir explained fondly thinking of the two mischievous hobbits.  
  
"And who is the third hobbit?" the girl asked.  
  
"I believe she is a very dear friend of Peregrim's," he replied, but as Mayda opened her mouth to answer another question he held up his hand and laughed. "Eat now Mayda, later you can ask as many questions as you like, but we must depart with the hunting party in half an hour." The girl turned crimson and she nodded before turning back on her lunch and she hardly spoke another word, though neither did Faramir, as Eowyn made the mistake of suggesting to a very sleepy Elboron that he needed to take a nap. The tantrum that ensued could probably have been heard ten miles away.  
  
X X X  
  
"We are riding?" Mayda asked with a frown as she noticed several horses saddled up in front of the house. Faramir nodded and led Mayda to a young stallion.  
  
"The deer do not graze in these hills this late in the year, they take shelter at the base of the Mountains of Shadow, it is only a short ride to the hunting lodge where we will leave the horses and carry on on foot," he explained and helped his niece onto the stallion's back – it was significantly taller than Lindnîn – before walking over to his friends to see if everyone had gathered.  
  
Mayda looked at the bow she had been given and admired the craftsmanship. It was a beautiful design, one that she hadn't come across before, though part of her missed the familiar horse patterns that adorned her own bow back home. She of course wore her short sword, which had previously been a gift from Faramir and her Elven blade was strapped to her chest under her loose shirt. Her final weapon was a curved hunting blade that Eowyn had lent her. Her hair had been tied back and she wore a cloak to disguise her on the hunt.  
  
So now she sat, ready and waiting, alone...a very strange lump was forming in her throat and her nose began to prickle.  
  
'Do not get sentimental now Mayda!' she told herself firmly, but now her eyes started to water and she looked down at herself, fingering the cloak buckle anxiously, wishing that it were Éomer who was taking her on a hunt. Though she dearly loved her uncle Faramir, Éomer was as a father to the child and she was starting to feel uncomfortably homesick.  
  
"Here take this." Eowyn's voice staved her tears and Mayda looked up to find her aunt handing a pack to her. She took it and peered inside to find some treats and waybread wrapped in cloth, as well as a flask of water. Mayda grinned and nodded, wrapping the strap of the pack around her neck. " Good luck my darling." Mayda grinned and nodded, starting to get excited, it had been long since she had been successful on a hunt.  
  
Finally all the hunters arrived and the party set off. It was a pleasant ride as the hunters amused the girl with their entertaining stories and soon they had reached the hunting lodge. Here they left the horses and the party set out in groups of three, though Mayda and Faramir set off with just the two of them. They walked in absolute silence, carefully avoiding making a noise on the fallen branches and the leaves.  
  
After several hours they finally came across a small group of deer who were grazing in a clearing. Faramir saw them first and pulled Mayda down behind a bush. He held up his hand indicating four deer and then pointed to her and motioned 'one' with his finger and pointed to himself and motioned 'one' again. Mayda nodded in understanding. She grinned happily to herself as she pulled an arrow from her quiver and cocked her bow, next to her Faramir was doing the same thing. He waited for Mayda to take aim and then targeted one of the others. The former Ranger looked to his niece with a questioning expression and she nodded without taking her eye off her target. Then with one nod of his head both let their arrows fly. Success!  
  
X X X  
  
It was a fine feast. Faramir had not lied about the cook's abilities; Mayda had never tasted anything so wonderful. The hunting party and several other old friends of the Lord of the house were invited and it was a very merry affair. Mayda sat beside her aunt and laughed out loud for the entire duration of the meal. As the hour hit midnight two of the hunters were once more entertaining the young girl with drunken party tricks, but she was beginning to yawn and Eowyn was well aware that by now she ought to be lying in bed.  
  
So against much protesting on the hunters' part – they had grown fond of the young rascal – Eowyn led her niece away and helped her get ready. Finally the girl lay tucked up in her new bed.  
  
"Would you like me to leave one torch lit?" Eowyn asked and Mayda nodded quickly as she reached in her knapsack to take out a book she was reading and an old shirt that looked like it was twice the size of the child. Eowyn recalled Lothiriel telling her something about a security blanket and wondered if this had once belonged to Théodred.  
  
"Was that your father's?" she asked sitting down to tuck the girl in. Mayda turned slightly pink and shook her head.  
  
"No, it is uncle Éomer's." With this the girl rolled on her side leaving Eowyn with a broad smile on her face. She quickly kissed her niece's cheek before softly walking over to the door.  
  
"Sleep well my darling," she said, but she received no reply as the exhausted child was already sleeping soundly.  
  
X X X  
  
Mayda settled down so well in Emyn Arnen that one would suspect she had always lived there. As her first week passed she had found several spots where she could hide away and have some adventures. The snow had started falling, turning the hills into some sort of winter wonderland. It looked beautiful on the morning that the guests from Tolfalas were due to arrive.  
  
"When will they get here?" the young girl asked impatiently looking out of the window eagerly. Beside her little Elboron was trying to do the same, but he could not reach. Eowyn smiled at the backs of their heads.  
  
"Soon," she replied and she down in front of the letter Mayda had started writing to her foster-parents, it seemed so strangely impersonal. Eowyn sighed, they had yet to start trying to convince the girl that she was very much wanted back in Rohan.  
  
"They are here!" Mayda suddenly yelped and she raced Elboron to the front door where they waited impatiently for Faramir to lead the young guests from the horses to the house. Finally the handle turned and Faramir walked in brushing the snow off his cloak. He smiled at the children in front of him and stepped aside to reveal two smaller figures wrapped up warmly in large cloaks. They rushed inside to the warmth of the house where they both peeled back their cloaks. Mayda tilted her head to the side and took in the appearance of the two boys.  
  
They were evidently brothers, as they were very similar in stature – tall and thin, yet with the makings broad shoulders – and had similar features. Both had hair the colour of gold with little flecks of whitish blonde in their mops of thick hair, though their brows bore strikingly dark eyebrows. Below these odd eyebrows were eyes more blue than Mayda had ever seen, made to look even paler by the fact that both had olive skin from a lifetime of living under a bright sun. Were Mayda a little older and had the boys grown more into their features she would have seen two very handsome young men standing before her, but such was not the case and Mayda bounded forward and shook their hands.  
  
"My name is Mayda," she said eagerly. " Welcome to Ithilien!" The boys grinned back at her.  
  
"I'm Dior," the taller of the two said and he indicated the shorter boy. " This is my little brother Huor."  
  
"What do you think of the North?" Mayda asked curiously.  
  
"We have not seen much, though it is...rather cold," Huor replied shivering slightly despite himself. Seeing this Eowyn rushed forward.  
  
"Come, let me show you to your chambers, I have a fire burning for you," she said and she led the boys up the stairs and to a set of chambers next to Mayda's. The boys dropped their bags down on the twin beds before falling down on the rugs in front of the fire.  
  
"We will be dining in an hour, until then I shall let you settle in," Eowyn told the boys and she left the room finding Mayda hovering around outside. "Go in you silly girl," Eowyn laughed out loud and she nudged her niece towards the door. Mayda shuffled in and dropped down in the armchair behind the boys.  
  
"So why are you here?" Huor asked as he turned around and faced Mayda. " Faramir told us you are a princess of Rohan, is that not to the North?" Mayda grinned and nodded.  
  
"I am on a visit, the Lady Eowyn is my aunt," she explained.  
  
"Will you be staying long princess?" Dior now asked and Mayda felt something in her stomach flutter. He was just like Mathain.  
  
"For a few months at least," she said and the boys' faces lit up. " Though if I stay any longer than half a season my uncle says he will come and get me."  
  
"He did not want you to come away?" Huor asked. Mayda shrugged and shook her head. "Then why did you leave?"  
  
"It is a long story," she explained. The boys raised their eyebrows.  
  
"Did your aunt not say that we have a whole hour before lunch?" Dior asked and Mayda met his eyes. She looked away blushing.  
  
"Very well," she said. "It all began...well ten years ago I suppose..."  
  
X X X  
  
More to come soon.  
  
A/N – I know Tolfalas is only about 250 miles south of the North of Emyn Arnen, so the difference in climate would not be as great as I make out, but for the sake of my story it's actually far further south to allow it a somewhat tropical climate (like the coast of South France – bluest sea I have ever seen in my life!!! - yet even warmer than the South of France as the boys never experienced weather cold enough for snow). 


	17. Elfwine: Part Three

A/N – I don't understand the confusion. When I wrote the 'Princesses and Miscreants' chapter/story I clearly stated that from then on it was no longer the main story. I don't want to post these as a individual stories on because having to explain each time who she is and having people understand her background and the little pieces of information you gain from reading the main story is too much hassle. I couldn't write with familiarity if I were posting anew each time, because every time I mentioned something from a prior tale, or from the main story I would have to explain it in detail and that would rather spoil the moment. And also some of these are very short and I wouldn't feel right about posting a 2000 word story and just leaving it at that.  
  
:) I thank you for the reviews, you guys are the best and I love hearing from you and I'm sorry I confused you, but it's so much easier this way!  
  
The heir of Théodred  
  
Elfwine: Part Three  
  
As the young princess' story came to a close she was shaking slightly with the emotion of it all. The boys looked to each other eyes wide with how much she had been through in her short life and right then and there the magic surrounding Mayda took hold of their hearts and forever afterwards she was special to them.  
  
" Children," a voice called from the corridor. The children shook themselves out of the moment and looked up to find Eowyn walk into the open doorway. "Lunch is ready, I can imagine you boys must be famished!" The boys smiled gratefully and climbed to their feet looking their new friend in the eye. A wordless connection grew between them and they all grinned before rushing down to the formal dining room ahead of Eowyn. Faramir and Elboron were already seated and the children fell around them.  
  
"And what do you think of my house?" Faramir asked the boys. They shook their heads.  
  
"From what we have seen it is a very fine house sir," Huor said politely. Faramir laughed and looked to Mayda in surprise.  
  
"You have not taken them for a tour of the place, I thought that would be one of the first things you did," he remarked with a smile and then he turned on the boys. "And please, less of the sir business, you are my cousins and guests in my home, call me Faramir." The boys looked uneasy at this, but nodded all the same. "So tell me, how fairs your mother?" The boys looked slightly glum.  
  
"She is with child again," Huor explained. Faramir suppressed a chuckle.  
  
"Again?" The boys nodded in unison.  
  
"You would think after having eight sons she would give up on the hopes of a daughter," the older boy said sounding putout. "I cannot now remember a time when there was no baby crying in the night and waking up the entire house!" Mayda looked alarmed, was having a baby in the house that bad? Eowyn saw this in an instant.  
  
"But having a baby is also such a magical experience," she said looking to her own son fondly, he had managed to cover most of his chin with the stew they were eating. "Do you not remember holding Elboron when he was little Mayda? I recall you loved it!" Mayda thought back to the days when her cousin was a baby and she nodded. She had loved it that was true and she had missed having him around when the small family returned to Ithilien. Across the table from Mayda the boys were whispering. Dior looked very angry with his younger brother about something, so Mayda reached under the table with her foot and kicked one of them hard: Huor. He looked up questioningly and met her curious face.  
  
"Uh sir...I mean Faramir?" Dior said sounding worried. " It would seem my brother has forgotten to bring down a gift that our father wished we present to you at our first meal, to toast your generosity at housing us here." Faramir smiled at them.  
  
"It is not the end of the world, you can just go and fetch it now," he said kindly and Dior gave his little brother a stern look as he rushed out of the room.  
  
'Twitchy little things,' Faramir thought to himself, though he was not surprised. Once in his youth he had visited his relations in Tolfalas and had been unpleasantly surprised by the formality of simple occasions such as lunch and dinner and also at the discipline if the slightest thing went wrong. Though what was quite strange was the stark contrast of the inhabitants of Tolfalas to the Lord's house, as the inhabitants had a very relaxed and informal pace of life. Faramir was thinking to himself that perhaps having them come away from their strict life at home would be just the thing these impressionable young men needed. Moments later Huor came bounding in again and he bowed as he presented the bottle of fine Tolfalas wine to his host. Faramir thanked him cheerily and ensured that everyone, including young Elboron, had a goblet of the fine wine, though he also made sure that the aforementioned person had a very small amount in his goblet.  
  
Faramir then raised his glass to the boys and toasted to their welcome and their health and they returned the gesture with a toast to his generosity and then Faramir made his niece blush in front of the boys by toasting her an extended welcome. One thing that could be said for Tolfalas wine was that its strength was at least double that of Northern wines, so that when Mayda had finished her goblet she felt quite light headed and had to shake her head ardently to stop Eowyn refilling it for her. The boys seemed of course resilient to its toxicity as they had grown up with it, but they did find it highly amusing that Mayda started swaying slightly.  
  
By the end of dinner the girl had of course fully recovered and had promised her uncle and aunt to take the boys on a tour of the house and of the lands, so that is what she did. She took them into every room that was not locked and by the end of it the boys were very impressed.  
  
"You may wish to put on thicker britches, it is very cold outside," Mayda remarked as they stood by the doors leading out into the gardens, ready to venture out into the lands. The boys looked slightly forlorn.  
  
"We have no thicker clothes," Huor said worriedly. Mayda studied him for a moment.  
  
"Well you could probably fit into a pare of mine though they might be a bit short for you, though I must say they are long for me," she said and Huor nodded gratefully. Then she looked to the taller boy and looked him up and down feeling very conscious of the fact that he was watching her intently as she did so. "We might have to ask my aunt if you can borrow some of hers, you will not fit into mine." Dior went crimson.  
  
"I cannot ask your aunt!" he whispered. Mayda grinned charmingly.  
  
"You will not have to, I will," she said, but seeing the boy was not wavering she leaned over and pushed the door open slightly. Air so cold the boys had never experienced wafted in and in an instant Dior nodded quickly.  
  
"If you could," he said quickly. Mayda grinned and nodded before leading them up to her room where she rummaged around for a pare for the shorter boy. As she wheeled around with a particularly large and thick pair she found them staring around themselves in shock.  
  
"What?" she asked defensively. The boys suppressed a smile.  
  
"Nothing princess," Dior said and he rushed out of the room only to burst into laughter in the corridor beyond. Mayda quickly grabbed Huor's arm to stop him from doing the same.  
  
"Tell me, what is so funny?" she demanded, her feisty nature showing through. Huor grinned and indicated the messy room.  
  
"We have never met a girl who is..." he began shaking his head. " Well who is messy like a boy!" Mayda's jaw dropped in outrage.  
  
"Well by the sounds of it you have rarely ever met a girl if you live with six brothers back in Tolfalas," she complained. Huor shrugged, this of course was true. "And if you must know...I was...sorting out a few things." With this she strode from the room leaving Huor watching her in adoration.  
  
Fifteen minutes later after Mayda had received Eowyn's permission the children strode out into the snow, all wearing not only the thicker britches, but their thinner ones underneath and heavy furred cloaks. Mayda showed them the extensive gardens before leading them down a path into the valley. She led them by moonlight through the sparse forest along a track barely visible until they came to the site she had most wanted to show them.  
  
"This," she said grandiosely, motioning a rock pool of bubbling and steaming water. "Is a hot spring, it is gloriously warm all year round and is very good for your health....well, so my aunt tells me." The boys stared at it in wonder. They had never seen any hint of seismic activity as Tolfalas was well clear of the volcanic Mordor. Along the Mountains of Shadow however, and to a lesser extent in the hills of Emyn Arnen, these springs were common and well used by the inhabitants of Ithilien.  
  
"How warm is it?" Huor asked creeping towards the edge of the rocks.  
  
"Well feel it and see," Mayda laughed and she too ran to the water's edge and dangled her bare arm into the deliciously warm water. Huor gasped at the touch.  
  
"Brother, you must feel it, it is wonderful!" he called and Dior rushed over to feel. Seeing their gleeful faces and idea crept into Mayda's head, but for these two boys she was going to have to sell it very well.  
  
"How brave do you think you are?" she asked them calculatingly. They looked on her with bold faces and puffed out their chest.  
  
"As Brave as any soldier!" Dior said proudly. Mayda grinned.  
  
"Brave enough to try an old Gondorean tradition?" The boys nodded firmly; once more the reply Mayda sought. So she sat up and kicked off her heavy boots and started to peel off her cloak and her tunic. The boys stared at her in wonder.  
  
"What are you doing?" Huor asked once she started to pull off her shirt to reveal her skinny shivering form.  
  
"To prove our valour, and also, I have been told, as a way to keep the body in good health, we sit in the pool until every muscle is relaxed and then we jump out and run in the air to revive your sleeping bodies and then you down lie in the snow for as long as you can take it," she said as she walked over to the side of the hot spring dressed now in her thin britches alone. She stood by the water's edge, her very bones frozen to the core, drawing out the awe she had gathered from the boys still safe and warm in their cloaks. "The question is, are you brave enough?" Instantly the boys too started pulling at their boots and cloaks and soon they too were standing at her side in only their thin britches.  
  
"When do we climb in?" Dior asked hugging his frozen body. Mayda grinned at him sneakily.  
  
"When you cannot bear the cold any longer," she said and so the three stood side by side, each trying to prove their valour over the next, until even Mayda, well used to this type of thing, was frozen solid. " Shall we each climb in together?" she finally asked through gritted teeth. The boys could utter no reply, but instead nodded jerkily in assent. " On three! One...two...three!" All three leapt forward and landed in the gloriously warm water all at once. Though their skin started stinging from the sudden difference in temperature, they did not care and settled into the submerged smooth bench hewed into the side of the black rocks.  
  
"Tell me princess," Dior began once he had recovered. Once more Mayda's stomach was fluttering wildly. "As you explained this uh...ritual to us you spoke as one of Gondor. Are you not Rohirric?"  
  
"Did you not listen to my story?" Mayda asked and she was surprised at how disappointed this made her. "I grew up for a large part in these hills, only more towards the Anduin, remember my mother was a Lady of Numenorean descent as are you, all we children were playing in these springs when we were little." Dior nodded.  
  
"Of course," he said sounding annoyed at himself for not working it out. " And yes, I was listening to every word you spoke!" Mayda smiled a proud smile and looked away at the snow thinking it had been a long time since she had carried out this bizarre ritual and wondering whether she still had the courage.  
  
"Why is it that you fear your foster-parents having a child?" Huor asked. Mayda looked at him in surprise. Where had that come from?  
  
"Well I..." she began and both boys looked to her curiously. "They might..."  
  
"I understand," Dior said with a distant smile. "For the longest time it was just Huor and I," he explained seeing Mayda's questioning face turned on him. "Then when I was eight and he six, our mother announced she desperately wanted a daughter and since then has never really been without child if you understand my meaning." Mayda giggled and nodded. " And with every brother we gained, her desire for a daughter grew tenfold and it became easy to feel unwanted." Mayda nodded. "But you know what?" Mayda shook her head. "Her love for the two of us never wavered. She still loves us the same as she did the day we were born," he said and Mayda hung her head.  
  
"She was there the day you were born, she is your mother," she said gloomily. "I know that uncle Éomer and auntie Lothiriel love me now, but how will they feel when they have their own baby and have no need for me anymore?"  
  
"Am I not mistaken," Huor began catching Mayda's attention. "But did they not love you so much that they wanted you to be their daughter?" Mayda smiled slightly and nodded. "Well then, the fact that they choose to love you as their own, and are not obliged to, should make you feel tenfold more special than us!" At this Mayda's face cracked into a beaming smile as the boy's words touched her heart. This was of course true!  
  
With a new found energy she jumped to her feet on the bench, almost managing to ignore the sudden chill that swept over her whole body.  
  
"Come on, prove that Tolfalas boys are braver than little girls, join me!" she cheered. With one last grin at each other the brothers jumped to their feet also and all three children climbed – with great difficulty as their bodies felt like lead after the warmth and weightlessness of the water – out of the pool and ran around it as many times as they could bear before falling down into the snow.  
  
"Ah!" Mayda shrieked with delight. "I am frozen!" With this she grabbed two handfuls of snow and pushed them into the faces of the boys. A snow war developed and soon all three were lying in a tumbled heap giggling fit to burst.  
  
"Come, we ought to get dressed before we catch our deaths," Mayda said and she crawled over to her clothes and pulled her shirt over her pounding head. The boys looked longingly to the pool. "Trust me," Mayda laughed. " It is near impossible to climb out if you go in again now!" The boys nodded in agreement and soon the children were dressed. They had pulled off their thinner britches – Mayda behind the shelter of a large tree – and now were dry enough to make their way back up to the house. And so they did, now a band of kindred spirits.  
  
X X X  
  
Éomer looked to the sealed letter in his hand with a heavy heart. He recognised the script, it was his niece's fine handwriting. Lothiriel nudged him in the arm.  
  
"Go on my love, open it. Let us see what she has to tell us!" she urged. So with a deep sigh Éomer opened the letter and began to read aloud to his wife.  
  
"She says, to my dear auntie and uncle," he began and he looked up with a small smile; that was a very affectionate opening.  
  
"Read on!" Lothiriel ordered with her hands clasped before her in giddiness.  
  
"I am very well and am enjoying my time here very much," he carried on. " Uncle Faramir and aunt Eowyn have been very kind to me and I have found new friendship in Faramir's young cousins. They say that I am a lot of fun and quite brave, even though I am a girl..." Both Éomer and Lothiriel laughed, and Éomer continued to read on about Mayda's exploits and her adventures, finally though he came to a part that brought a smile to his face before he read it.  
  
"What?" Lothiriel asked eagerly. "What does she say?"  
  
"She says," Éomer began and his smile would not fall from his handsome face. "I have been silly and after thinking it through I believe I was very hurtful to you both and I am very sorry. I was afraid, still am afraid I suppose, but that will pass. I want you to have a baby and I want it to be a girl, because boys can be quite strange I have found after living with them." Lothiriel laughed through her tears that had started to fall. " I miss you both very much and I will return when spring starts to wane, as that is when my friends return to Tolfalas. Please forgive me, love from your Mayda..." Éomer closed his eyes and smiled broadly. "I must remember to send my sister a casket of our finest wine!" he eventually said and he rushed over to his wife and took her hands.  
  
"We are going to be a happy family after all," she said gleefully. Éomer laughed boyishly.  
  
"Well that remains to be seen!"  
  
X X X  
  
It's not over yet!  
  
A/N – About the wine drinking, now it hasn't been brought up by any reviewers yet, but just in case you're wondering... I grew up in Europe (Holland to be exact) and in many countries in Europe it isn't unusual for children to have a glass of wine at a meal with their parents (I say 'in Europe' because I have no idea what the custom is in the USA for example, so if it's the same every where else then ignore this little note). I personally didn't do it very often (I was more a champagne child – seriously I was stealing my parents glasses even as a toddler), but in some countries it is done a lot more widely. This is how I see children being treated in Gondor and Rohan (more so in Rohan I suppose), so that is why the children (even young Elboron a little) are encouraged to have a glass with the meal. 


	18. Elfwine: Part Four

Thanks for the reviews as normal guys, soooooo appreciated!! As for the posting new stories for my tales, well I might, but I'm halfway through this one here now, so I'll carry it on here.  
  
The heir of Théodred  
  
Elfwine: Part Four  
  
And so three weeks passed and over this time the three children grew inseparable. As winter drew on they would spend the days out in the snow exploring the land and inventing games. Mayda taught the boys how to ride like the Rohirrim and in turn they taught her how to duel as one from Tolfalas, an island well famed for its sword masters. Finally though they came to the seventeenth of December. It was a difficult time for Mayda and the boys as it was the first Mettarë (Yule – last and first day of the year, a time for gifts and celebration) they were spending away from home, but despite this they could not ignore their excitement; they were, after all, going to be spending the following few days in Minas Tirith, enjoying the festivals and the parades that took place at the end of the year. Also, to add to their glee, they would all be meeting hobbits for the first time.  
  
So they rode out early on the seventeenth with heavily laden ponies trailing behind their little procession of horses. It was an enjoyable ride as they sung Mettarë carols and taught each other folksongs from their lands, though Eowyn quickly had to intervene when Mayda started to sing a song she had no idea was actually very rude, needless to say the girl was very confused, she had after all been taught this song by her uncle Éomer one night, granted, he had been very drunk.  
  
Slowly but surely, they made their way over the snowy hills until finally they reached the recovering city of Osgiliath around noon. Seeing it brought back many memories for Faramir, as it always did when he passed this way, and he fell very silent as Mayda explained to the boys what had happened there. Soon they had crossed the bridge and were heading out over the Pelennor fields with the beautiful white city of Minas Tirith rising in front of them. The boys, who had never seen workmanship of this magnificence before, gasped and they could not utter a word until they were in the city and making their way up the tiers to the palace of the King where they had been invited as guests of honour.  
  
"The beauty of this place is well beyond anything we have in Tolfalas," Dior finally uttered.  
  
"Though grand this city is," Faramir said with a smile. " I recall being awed by your home Caladhir, the City of a thousand Lights," he said for the sake of his wife and niece. "It is hewn from a mountain the colour of gold, and sparkles so when the sun is rising from a long night, or setting beyond the clear seas. Never before have I seen such beauty," he said smiling at the memory of the Golden City of Tolfalas.  
  
"Well in that you are mistaken sir...Faramir, for myself at least, my eyes shall never see such beauty again should I look on anything other than this city," Dior said, but he caught Mayda's eyes and looked at her intently. She raised one eyebrow before blushing and looking away, pretending to be very interested in Lindnîn's mane.  
  
"And besides, it was not our people that hewed Caladhir from the Ered Laurë, it was the Elves from long ago who made our home great," Huor said sadly. " The towns built by our forefathers are not so pleasing to look upon."  
  
"And do these Golden Mountains truly appear to be golden?" Mayda asked, her mind racing with the imagery Faramir and the boys were painting in her mind. The boys looked at her with broad smiles and nodded.  
  
"When it is very early," Dior began.  
  
"Or very late!" Huor piped up.  
  
"The entire Western coast of the island is alight with a golden lustre," Dior continued. "It is a reason our forefathers first settled there, they believed the mountains would make them rich, but alas, there is no true gold in Tolfalas, and they were tricked, but it has many other reasons to remain, so they took up home in the deserted haven of the Elves." Mayda nodded, completely captivated.  
  
"I should very much like to see it one day," she said eventually, pulling herself away from her daydreams of gleaming cities across a clear blue sea. Dior grinned roguishly.  
  
"Then one day you shall princess," he said firmly.  
  
"Come on children, this is where we will leave our horses," Faramir's voice suddenly came and the children looked up to find they had arrived at the King's stables. Within half an hour the small party had made their way up to the plateau of Minas Tirith where the King stood waiting for them, his beautiful wife at his side holding their young son close.  
  
"Faramir!" Elessar cheered when his eyes fell on the small bundled up party. Faramir grinned broadly and managed a small bow before his liege pulled him into an embrace. Finally they parted and Faramir bowed deeply to the beautiful Queen Arwen, before stepping aside to allow Eowyn to greet the royal couple. Finally they turned on the three companions.  
  
"You remember my niece my lord?" Eowyn said placing her hands on Mayda's shoulder. Mayda bowed gracefully.  
  
"How could I forget?" Elessar said cheerfully. " Of course I remember Mayda. I recall the last time I was in Rohan she showed me to a wondrous swimming hole," he said with a broad smile. "And she entertained my son so well that he kept demanding we return for her." Mayda grinned sheepishly and waved to young Eldarion who was desperately trying to get her attention. With this the King of the Reunited Kingdom looked on the two boys standing beside Mayda looking at him in awe; they had heard tales of this legendary man and whenever they had play-duels they always fought to play the part of Aragorn the Ranger.  
  
The boys practically bent double as the King's gaze fell on them, something that made said king laugh out loud.  
  
"You must be Galdor's boys," he said taking in their appearance; well, what was visible of them from beneath the heavy cloaks and hoods. They nodded quickly.  
  
"Yes my Lord, I am Dior, this is Huor," Dior said quickly. Beside him Mayda was suppressing a grin, she had never heard the boy sound so grovelling before. "I thank you for your kindness at letting us stay in your home during this busy time." Elessar smiled broadly at the boy and nodded.  
  
"You are of course more than welcome," he said and he looked to Faramir with raised eyebrows. He of course knew of the ways of the Lord's house in Tolfalas, and knowing this he had set a wager with Faramir the last time they had come to dine at the White City that the Prince of Ithilien would not be able to ease their formality and timidity by the time Mettarë came. It would seem he had won. Faramir knew this too and shook his head tiredly, raising his arms in a helpless motion. Elessar grinned broadly before turning on his young guests once more. "Come, let me show you were you will be staying," he said holding his arm out to the children. The boys stepped forward timidly, but Mayda rushed to his side – she idolized the King as he had taught her how to prowl like a Ranger, something that had seriously vexed Éomer as she kept pouncing on him from the shadows – and she regaled him with her hunting successes since the last time they met.  
  
By the time they had reached a series of elegant guest chambers King Elessar felt as though he were Aragorn the Ranger once more as the young girl's tales had rekindled his desire for the wild once more. So much so that as he left the girl in her chambers he promised her he would take her and the boys on a hunt after the festivals were over. This promise had Mayda reeling, so much so that she barely paid any attention to her aunt and uncle when they came in to leave Elboron in her care.  
  
"Mayda," Eowyn laughed once she ignored what they were saying to her for the third time. "Pay attention to your uncle," she admonished fondly.  
  
"We are going to discuss..." Faramir pulled a face that made Mayda giggle. " Formal matters with the King. Would you be so kind as to ensure Elboron stays out of trouble?" Mayda nodded quickly.  
  
"Of course uncle," she said and she took Elboron's hand. "We shall be on our best behaviour!" Faramir smiled broadly and knocked her chin.  
  
"You had better, or I will box you up and send you back to Rohan," he said cheerfully before heading out of the door. Mayda then turned on her aunt with a doe-eyed expression.  
  
"Can we explore the city while you are discussing formal matters?" she asked pleadingly.  
  
"Please?" little Elboron whined in a perfect imitation of his cousin. At this Eowyn laughed out loud.  
  
"My dear, what have you been teaching him?" she asked Mayda, but the girl adopted an innocent expression. "Very well," Eowyn said and she too headed towards the door. "But you ought to heed your uncle, that was no empty threat!" With this she left leaving Mayda feeling slightly apprehensive. Surely her uncle wouldn't pack her in a crate? Moments later though two people appeared in the doorway.  
  
"I cannot believe how you addressed the king," Huor gasped as he rushed in. Mayda wrinkled her nose and stared at the boys in confusion. "Well you spoke to him as though he were Faramir or Eowyn!" Mayda furrowed her brow.  
  
"But I know him, I have met him many times in Rohan and he is a lot of fun," she complained. "He does not mind it I assure you!"  
  
"He is the King, you cannot treat him purely as a playmate," Dior reprimanded causing the girl's cheeks to glow bright red.  
  
"I do not treat him as a playmate," she countered petulantly. " Not everyone is as formal as they are in Tolfalas!" With this she stalked out of the room dragging Elboron with her. The boys stared at each other in shock before running after her.  
  
"Where are you going?" Dior called to her fast retreating back.  
  
"We are going exploring," she called back coldly and with that she was gone leaving the boys feeling a little angry with her, and yet thoroughly ashamed of themselves.  
  
X X X  
  
Mayda stalked for a long time, her eyes burning with anger. She could not explain why their comments had infuriated her so, but all her pent up emotions over the last few days were beginning to well up as a sob in her throat. All she wanted was to be home with Éomer and Lothiriel. Elboron's little legs were exhausted by the time she brought both of them to a halt in front of the White Tree of Gondor.  
  
"Why are you angry?" her little cousin asked helplessly. Mayda closed her eyes and crouched down at his side.  
  
"I miss my home," she replied truthfully. Elboron tilted his head to one side before eventually nodding.  
  
"Me too," he said knowingly. Mayda smiled despite herself and sighed. Rohan might not have had the same grandeur and elegance as its neighbour, but the princess had taken her father's land as her own and loved it more than anything. Mettarë was a magical time of year in Rohan; Edoras would be lit up with thousands of little candles and hung with hundreds of banners, wreaths decorated with a symbol for everyone in the household would be hanging from the doors of houses and inside would be the traditional carved horse decorated with elegant cloths and wooden ornaments.  
  
Mayda sighed deeply thinking to her own home. Their carving was always the largest of Edoras and decorated with such vigour – she was normally the chief decorator – which many of the villagers came to see it and add a little piece of their own to it. Their wreath though was not grand at all, it was in line with the simple design of all others across Rohan. Mayda thought fondly of her symbol, the White Tree of Gondor inside a crown atop a horseshoe. She had found her father's symbol in a box of decorations that had been hidden away for many years and found it to be the horseshoe and the crown, so she requested to have the White Tree added and take it as her own. Her eagerness had sparked Éomer to return to the tradition of decorating Meduseld; something that had not been done since before the dark times started.  
  
On the Second day of Mettarë – the first day of the New Year – the maidens of the house would wear a wreath of candles and horseshoes and join a parade of their peers around the village. Mayda had loved the previous two years where she, Laiken and Arin had led the parade at an incredible pace; something they were later told off for, but had many in stitches of laughter at the time – including Éomer.  
  
"I want to go home," she whispered suddenly. Mind racing she made up her mind, she was going home, if she set off once everyone had gone to bed and rode without much rest she would make it home by the First day of Mettarë. Invigorated with the notion of seeing her foster parents again she looked on Elboron with a broad smile.  
  
"Come, let us explore," she said and the two raced each other over to the steps leading down into the lower levels of the city.  
  
X X X  
  
Eventually with growling stomachs Mayda and Elboron returned to the palace, but they never got any further than the threshold. Standing before them were three...hobbits? Mayda's jaw dropped in surprise. They were such small things, definitely a little shorter than she was. She had always been told they were short, but these creatures were impossibly small! Curly hair adorned their heads and none of their youthful faces were bearded. They looked like they could be quite merry, but at this moment they were bickering.  
  
"Excuse me?" the young girl asked tentatively. The hobbits looked up impatiently, but seeing that it was just two children their expressions turned much more gentle. "I was just wondering if you might be Merry and Pippin?" she asked the two males. They looked to each other with a glare, but turned on Mayda with proud smiles.  
  
"Merry at your service my lady," one of them said sticking his thumbs behind his braces and leaning back on his heels.  
  
"And I'm Pippin," the other put in quickly, then with an elbow to his ribs from the female hobbit he quickly added, " This is Diamond my...lovely...fiancé." Mayda grinned gleefully at them, thinking them to be so quaint.  
  
"If you do not mind my asking," she said bashfully. " Why were you fighting?" At this all three hobbits burst into a very detailed story, each trying to out-talk the other with their explanation. The result was that Mayda could not get a clear story, except that she managed to discern that food was at the root of the problem. After they had all finished speaking an awkward silence followed in which not only Mayda's but also all three hobbits' stomachs rumbled.  
  
"Do you feel that you could call a truce and help me find the kitchens?" Mayda eventually asked. The hobbits nodded quickly and for a moment a happy grin passed between them all. They gladly showed her and Elboron the way and soon they were sneaking past the cooks and stealing away with arms full of treats. They were all in fits of laughter by the time they had found a quiet place to eat their bounty.  
  
"I see you have done this before," Mayda laughed as she ripped off a piece of bread to feast on. The hobbits all nodded proudly, their fight forgotten.  
  
"So who might you be? You seem to know us, but I've never met you before, though you do look familiar," Pippin asked. Mayda smiled.  
  
"My name is Mayda," she said. "My father was Théodred of Rohan," she added with a lump in her throat. Pushing away the makings of a sob she looked from one shocked face to the next.  
  
"But he didn't have a child," Merry said eventually. " Isn't that why Éomer became king?" Mayda smiled and nodded tiredly.  
  
"My dear fellow, that is one long tale that I am loath to explain so late in the day," she said good-naturedly. "I now live with my uncle Éomer, who yes, still remains king and my aunt Lothiriel." Merry and Pippin nodded.  
  
"How is Éomer? I haven't seen him in a long time," Merry said smiling with the memory of the tall Horse Lord. Mayda smiled sadly.  
  
"He is well, he and my aunt are to be parents," she said hanging her head slightly. The hobbits instantly saw that she was not entirely happy about this so kept their congratulations low-key. When all was said and done, Mayda looked up at them with a small smile.  
  
"Tell me how my aunt Eowyn and uncle Éomer were when you first met them!" she said sneakily and sat listening to the few embarrassing tales that the hobbits had to tell of her family. They had the girl in hysterics until they mentioned Théoden, her later grandfather. At his name she fell silent.  
  
"I never met him," she finally uttered and she looked grieved. "Papa used to speak fondly of him, he used to tell me stories of his valour and his victories and since my uncle and aunt have done the same."  
  
"He was a great man," Merry, who had seen him die, stated firmly. He moved to put his hand around the girl's shoulders, but suddenly an outraged call of the head cook sounded from around the corner.  
  
"Oh no, time to run!" Pippin hissed and in an instant the little band of rascals had gathered up the rest of their hoard and rushed off sniggering under their breath. Without realising where they had run to they came across Mayda's quarters and she dived in dragging Elboron with her.  
  
"We're going to try and make it to our wing," Merry whispered to her with a mischievous grin.  
  
"We'll see you at dinner!" Pippin added and they were off. With a toothy grin Mayda shut her door and pressed her ear up against it as the portly cook ran past.  
  
"Sir?"  
  
'Oh no!' Mayda thought.  
  
"Huor, get back in your room," she whispered, hoping he wouldn't give her away.  
  
"What are you doing with that cleaver?" Dior's voice now came. Mayda's eyes went wide and she bit her lip, oh it would hurt if she was caught.  
  
"Scamps been thievin' from my kitchen again," the cook complained. " You boys 'aven't seen anyone come through 'ere 'ave you?" There was a pause in which Mayda bit the insides of her cheeks to stop herself from making a noise.  
  
"Not to our knowledge kind sir," Dior eventually replied and Mayda heard the cook stalking off grumbling. With a heavy sigh of relief Mayda slid down the wall beside the door as Elboron rushed off to inspect her packs for something to play with. Moments later a knock came at the door and she reached up to turn the handle allowing the boys to rush in and close the door behind themselves. They were staring at Mayda with wide eyes of admiration. She still felt a little angry with them though and avoided their eyes.  
  
"Did a little more than explore in the end did you?" Huor asked hungrily eyeing up the bread she still held. Feeling significantly less hungry now she threw it to him without catching his nod of thanks. Dior sighed heavily and crouched before the young girl.  
  
"I humbly apologise for what we said, it was not our intention to offend you," he said with such resolution that Mayda looked up into his hypnotic large eyes and saw the kindness that lay there. She fought to suppress the smile his eyes brought to her face. "We are not accustomed to the..." The boy wracked his brain for a word to adequately describe the different lifestyle Mayda led to theirs. " Freedom that you experience!" Mayda nodded.  
  
"You ought to trust me," she said firmly, but finally the smile she was holding back took hold of her face. "And instead of frowning upon our ways you ought to enjoy them." Dior grinned and nodded before turning on his little brother.  
  
"Pass me some of that, I am ravenous!" he ordered affably and held out his hand for the chunk his brother ripped off for him and Mayda told them all about her encounter with the hobbits, though the boys would not believe how small they were.  
  
X X X  
  
"Oh my darlings I am so sorry!" Eowyn's voice came as she rushed in and lifted Elboron up into a motherly embrace. "I forgot to tell you where you might find your lunch, we dined in the King's council chambers and I did not remember until just now that you had no idea where you could find yours." She rounded on the three older children sat by the balcony playing a game with wooden soldiers – they were in fact re-enacting the great Battle of the Pellenor fields, Mayda of course, taking charge of the small soldiers on horses claiming to be the great host of Théoden, poor Huor was forced to be the foul folk. " You must be famished!" Eowyn continued slightly less dramatically when the children barely reacted to her. Mayda quickly nodded urgently to the boys before looking on Eowyn with a wounded expression.  
  
"Starving," she lied effortlessly, fearing word of the cook's misfortunes coming to her aunt's ears ensuring she be boxed up in a crate by her uncle Faramir. Though she intended on returning to Rohan for the festival, she did not want to make the journey boxed up in a merchant's crate. She had been read 'There and back again; a hobbit's tale' by Éomer over a succession of many nights and had no desire to end up as the dwarves from that tale.  
  
"But we can wait until dinner is served," Dior quickly added. Eowyn gave the children a calculating look before taking her son's hand and leading him to the door, where she looked back once more, looking very much like she wanted to ask them what they had done, but deciding in the end she was better off not knowing, she led Elboron away.  
  
"Huor!" Mayda suddenly burst out even before Eowyn had shut the door. " What are you doing? The Witchking did not kill Gandalf!" she complained rescuing the small white figurine from underneath Huor's small black figurine.  
  
"Oh!" Huor exclaimed, now thoroughly putout. "Do we have to do everything exactly the way it happened?" Mayda and Dior glared at him.  
  
"No!" Dior said tiredly. "But you cannot eat Mithrandir..."  
  
X X X  
  
Much later that evening when their stomachs were growling once more, Eowyn and Faramir came to collect their charges and couldn't help but snigger slightly at the argument they were wrapped up in: whether or nor horses flew during the Battle of the Pellenor fields and whether or not the Witchking became king of Gondor and married Gandalf the Wise, as you can see, the children had become quite carried away with their game.  
  
Only the sight of the hobbits in the grand dining hall stilled the boys and they stared at the three little hobbits with dropped jaws. Mayda grinned triumphantly and uttered a soft 'Ah ha' to them under her breath. They were too shocked to heed her and soon they were all sat near the head of the table, the boys still staring at the hobbits in a very obvious manner. Eventually Mayda had to stamp on their toes under the table, which brought them back to their senses.  
  
Dinner itself became a very quiet matter for Mayda herself as she plotted a way to escape the well guarded and well watched palace. One thing was certain, that as dinner progressed she grew more and more resolute as the lump in her throat grew. She desperately wanted to see her foster parents once more.  
  
The other guests were far from quiet as the hobbits took it upon themselves to entertain these peculiar exotic boys with tales from the shire – most of them inappropriate for the ears of children – and by the end of the night the boys were giddy with what they had heard. So much so that they did not pay attention to their friend, who said a very resigned goodnight to everyone before slipping into her chamber unnoticed where she immediately took out a piece of parchment and a quill to write the note she had been planning through the latter courses of dinner.  
  
Soon her note was complete and she was ready to escape as soon as the hive of activity in the corridor died down. She had to feign sleep when her aunt and uncle came in to bid her goodnight. If she faced them she would not be able to hide what she was planning to do.  
  
So the girl waited and after another hour everyone had long fallen silent. So creeping as quietly as she could she heaved her heavy pack onto her shoulder, making sure she left the gifts she had intended for her family and friends on her bed with the note, before heading out. She moved stealthily, having learnt a little of what Faramir and Elessar had taught her of being a ranger and soon she was out in the courtyard. Here she left her belongings and made her way to the stables where she luckily only found one stableman caring for the steeds. He seemed shocked to see her.  
  
"What are you doing up at this hour?" he asked suspiciously. Mayda thought hard before feigning a very distraught expression.  
  
"I cannot sleep good sir," she said with a whimper and she rushed to Lindnîn's side burying her face in her mane.  
  
"There there," the stableman said awkwardly patting her back as though she were a horse. Feeling quite winded Mayda breathed in deeply before resurfacing from Lindnîn's long sweet-smelling mane.  
  
"May I take her for a walk, that normally calms me?" she asked hopefully, pouting excessively. The man looked weary to release one of his charges, but the little girl was so adorable and so helpless that he could not refuse.  
  
"Of course!" he said and he helped attach a bridle for her to lead the steed with. He then saw her to the door and Mayda led her steed down a level before scampering back up to collect her belongings. She was worried of how she would ride without a saddle, it was something she hadn't done on many occasions, but she was going to have to learn quickly.  
  
She uttered soft commands and reassurances in Elvish to her dear friend as they walked, trying to still the surprised horse. Soon they had silently made their way to the main gate and found it still open as it would be until midnight. The guards seemed a little surprised to see her, but she covered her head with her cloak and passed them nonetheless and within no time was out in the night, heading home where she belonged.  
  
X X X  
  
More to come soon. Sorry to go into so much rambling details with Tolfalas and Rohan's Mettarë traditions :D I just get a kick out of inventing little things like that. 


	19. Elfwine: Part Five

Thanks once more for the reviews! Lady scribe of avandell - :) no, a likeness to the Trojan Horse wasn't intended, I haven't actually read the Iliad nor seen 'Troy'. I know vague details of the story, but that's about it. No I was thinking that they needed some central decorative theme indoors and as the horse is central to the lives of the Rohirrim I figured I would revolve it around that: I am Eowyn – It really made me smile seeing that :) glad you're enjoying it. Klaw – I often feel bad about making her seem a little too mature, but then I remind myself that she's had to grow up fast and sometimes she may seem a little too old for her years, I just think of it as part of her charm.

The heir of Théodred

Elfwine: Part Five

"Wake up!" Huor shouted at the top of his voice as he burst into Mayda's room early the next morning, but when he saw the empty made bed he stopped in his tracks and furrowed his brow. He had been sure he was the first to wake, perhaps she was already having breakfast, but as he turned to leave movement caught his eye. He looked around to see what had drawn his attention. It was a piece of parchment, fluttering slightly in the light breeze coming in from a crack between the drawn shutters. Frowning heavily the boy stepped forward and eyed the delicate script that adorned the folded letter.

"Faramir!" he called into the corridor beyond, sensing that these matters were now beyond him. When no reply came he called louder, going against everything he had ever been taught by his father and the strict tutors of the Golden City. Moments later a door creaked open and Faramir rushed out rubbing sleep from his eye, but ready for anything. The sight could have made Huor smile; save he was too worried for his friend. "I believe there is something you must see," the boy said gravely and he led the sleepy man to the parchment Mayda had left behind. With a dubious glance at the boy Faramir lifted the parchment and began to read with a horrible feeling of foreboding. As he reached the end of the letter he sighed deeply realising his weariness was not unfounded.

"That girl," he uttered helplessly and he walked out of the room head hanging. Huor followed, his heart pounding anxiously, but he held back as Faramir walked into the chambers he shared with his wife. He did not shut the door so Huor saw as he walked over to his sleeping wife and shook her shoulder gently.

"Eowyn," he said softly as she began to stir. "Mayda has gone." This had the effect Faramir desired and Eowyn bolted right up in bed.

"What?" she demanded, only her tired eyes betraying that she had been asleep only moments before. " What do you mean she has gone?" Her husband pushed the letter into her hand and she read it feverishly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dear Auntie Eowyn and Uncle Faramir,

As you have probably realised I have gone, but I beseech you do not worry and that you do not feel too angry with me. I have taken Lindnîn and am now on the road to Edoras. I am so sorry and I will return as soon as the celebrations are spent. I have thought hard and realise now that I can offer you no explanation for why I so desperately need to return home. All I ask is that you forgive me and trust that I have a very good reason for being naughty, even though I cannot put it into words.

You need not worry for my safety, you know no harm will come to me on the road, as soon I will pass into Rohan and come into the custody of my uncle's riders, they will escort me to Edoras safely.

I wish you a wonderful Metarrë and hope that when I return I will still be welcome.

All my love, Mayda

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As she came to the end of the letter Eowyn looked up at Faramir with a hurt expression, but she knew her niece had not done this to hurt them, she had done it because of her attachment to her foster-parents. In a way they had accomplished what they had set out to do and that was to restore the girl's faith in those who loved her.

"What are we to do?" Faramir asked worriedly. "Should we send my men out to retrieve her? Or..." Eowyn smiled and shook her head.

"My darling, she has gone because she needs to. We will not do her nor ourselves any favours by forcefully retrieving her," she explained gently. Faramir hung his head and sighed deeply. What would Éomer say when his niece turned up on his doorstep again. Aside from being elated at her return, would he not trust Faramir with her safety again? Had he failed?

XXX

Mayda traveled through the night as much as she dared before she found a small dell to wrap up in for a few hours once she had passed into Rohan. As the temperature was well below freezing she had a very uncomfortable night and woke up just after dawn with very stiff joints.

"I am going to catch my death out here my friend," she said softly as she wrapped her bedroll up once more and pushed it into the top of her pack. Lindnîn bayed softly and nuzzled the side of her face. "Yes I know you are hungry," the girl chuckled. "You shall be glad to hear then that I came away from dinner last night with my pockets laden with stolen bounty." With this she pulled out an apple and fed it to the horse. She herself nibbled slightly on a pastry, but was too cold to give it any serious thought and was soon stuffing the remains back into her bag. "Come on," she sighed as she climbed gingerly to her feet and heaved herself onto her steed's back. "Let us hope we soon come across riders of the mark, I could not spend another night in such conditions!"

Her wish was granted merely an hour later. Though the riders caught the girl rather by surprise as she rose over a bluff to be confronted with an eored, who, though they were not assuming a battle formation, still looked rather intimidating. Lindnîn rose up in surprise and Mayda nearly slid from her saddle-less back. Fortunately she had thrown her arms around the horse's neck and remained in place. She uttered some soft reassurances and soon she was leading Lindnîn down the little slope to the captain of the eored: a man she did not recognize.

"Are you lost child?" the captain called to her as she came within hearing range. Mayda wrinkled her brow slightly; did he not know who she was?

"No, I am traveling to Edoras," she said and she pulled down her hood to reveal her face fully, yet still the captain showed no signs of knowing her name nor her position, though several of the riders began muttering to each other under their breath. "I know where it lies and I know where I am."

"What is your business in the Mark?" the captain continued. Mayda felt slightly putout at being asked this question. She was aware that the man had no idea who she was, but it did not ease her pride.

"I am Théodwyn Theodri, I live here," she said petulantly. The captain looked at her thoughtfully for a moment before nodding with a look of realization on his face. It would seem he did recognize her.

"Of course," he said simply, not showing any sign of humiliation, something that made the highly proud child feel a little vexed. "I apologise my Lady," the captain continued and he half-bowed his head to the girl. "How may we be of service?" Mayda grinded her teeth for a moment feeling awkward. She had almost forgotten the informality that Rohan enjoyed, and she had also forgotten that many of the riders stationed far from Edoras were even less inclined to show her the reverence only a few in Edoras showed. Normally it did not bother the young princess, but it would seem the formality of her newfound friends from the Golden Isle was rubbing off on her.

"Well," she began uneasily. "I was hoping that I might be granted an escort as far as Edoras. It is a long road and I am weary to go it alone..." She trailed off as she was finding the captain's unreadable look unnerving. Everything felt wrong. Eventually though the captain clapped his hands together once.

"Very well," he said with a curt nod. " That will not do of course. We cannot have a princess of the Mark gallivanting across the country unaccompanied." Mayda bit her lip hard.

'I was not gallivanting,' she thought angrily 'I would not know how to gallivant!'

The captain was now calling out in a booming voice to several riders and relaying their new orders to them. As six riders rode forward Mayda could have sworn they looked pleased with themselves. It was not surprising as the captain instructed them to remain for the celebrations and then return on the second day of the New Year. They were instantly ready for departure and the captain turned on the princess with a mildly expectant look. Mayda wrinkled her brow wondering what he was expecting her to say.

"I thank you," she eventually said stiltedly and she nodded her head to the man curtly, deciding she didn't like him one bit.

"My regards to your uncle," he said with a wild grin and with this he turned on the rest of the eored and sounded the call to continue on the road eastward. Mayda watched them go with a sour look. She had no idea who that odd captain was, how was she supposed to give his regards to Éomer? Besides, how dare he be so casual as to refer to the King of the Mark merely as 'your uncle'! Bristling slightly she turned on her escort and smiled weakly at them.

"To Edoras?" she suggested trying to regain a sense of composure. One of the riders nodded and they set off at a quick yet easy pace.

XXX

After a three-day ride Edoras finally came into view and Mayda's heart leapt for joy. She could not fight the broad grin that spread across her whole face. She was finally home where she belonged. A torrent of emotions nearly swept her into a sob, but she stifled it deftly and nodded to her companions, urging them to lead the way. And so it was that Mayda returned to Edoras. Many turned in shock as the princess passed them in the streets staring determinedly ahead; they had all been informed that she would be away until spring. The girl did not heed them and soon she had reached the steps to the Golden Hall, where she abandoned her trusty steed and carried on on foot. Soon she reached the unguarded doors – unguarded as it was the eve before Metarrë and most were given an evening free of work – and breathed in deeply before pushing the door open forcefully. It went easily and soon she stood in the large hall and found to her surprise no decorations where there ought to be many.

Éomer looked up from the villager in front of him and squinted slightly. A small figure stood silhouetted by the waning evening light. He could not guess who this child could be and what they would want with him, but as the child stepped into the hall looking shell-shocked torchlight fell on her face and he knew instantly who it was. With his jaw hanging he scrambled to his feet and ran halfway across the hall sliding to a halt on the highly polished tiles.

"Mayda," he uttered in disbelief. The girl looked on him with despair in her face, but it would seem her emotions got the better of her and she sprinted at the king nearly knocking him to his feet as she dived at his waist. Éomer quickly released her hold and dropped down before her. "What are you doing here?" he asked with wide eyes. Mayda's lower lip began to tremble and she shook her head.

"I missed you and..." The girl trailed off and her lip trembled more. Had she been horribly mistaken? Was her uncle glad for her to be gone and was now cross that she had dared return? Her fears were almost instantly stilled though as Éomer pulled her into a powerful embrace.

"I am so glad you are here," he finally exclaimed his voice thick with emotion. Mayda breathed in his familiar scent of horses and leather and smiled into the folds of his tunic. She truly was home. Neither had time to say another word as a loud utterance of surprise and joy broke them apart. Mayda's eyes now fell on her aunt, still not showing any large indication that she was with child, as it was early days still. Lothiriel was glowing though and as she ran across the great hall her lovely face was cracked into a beaming smile.

"Mayda!" she cried joyfully and she swooped the girl up into a motherly hug, and as she squeezed all the air out of the child, Mayda did not object. "Oh my child," Lothiriel whimpered, succumbing to her heightened emotions, but as soon as her tears had started to fall she pushed back from her foster-daughter and looked her in the eye. "How do I find you here?" she asked worriedly looking around the hall for Eowyn or Faramir. "Did you come alone?" Now Éomer was looking serious. Mayda stuck out her chin defiantly and nodded once. She tried to ignore the look of anger that temporarily etched her uncle's features, but for a brief second it had been as clear as day and it made her feel wicked.

"And my sister," Éomer said climbing to his feet. "She knows nothing of your departure?" Mayda looked genuinely guilty, but she nodded again only once. Her uncle instantly turned on one of his councilors. "Send word to Lady Eowyn in Minas Tirith, she must be told that her niece has returned to us safely!" he ordered. The man bowed his head and rushed off leaving Éomer staring at the girl with a disappointed look on his face. "You could have been hurt," he said with a hint of anger. Mayda looked away, she could not meet his gaze.

"Éomer," Lothiriel said gently and she placed a reassuring hand on Mayda's shoulder. "The girl must be exhausted after such a long ride, allow her a moment's rest..."

"Why are there no decorations?" Both Éomer and Lothiriel looked to the girl in surprise and then looked away as soon as they had done so. Both looked saddened, yet also rather sheepish.

"We did not," Lothiriel eventually began, but then she paused and looked to Éomer with a stern look. He sighed in defeat and dropped down on one knee before his foster-daughter once more.

"It was not the same without you," he said earnestly and for a moment he no longer looked vexed, but genuinely glad for her return.

"But tomorrow is Metarrë," Mayda stated with a small frown. "You cannot celebrate if you have not even unearthed the horse! May I do it?" Her request came so suddenly that Éomer was quite taken aback and he blinked several times unsure of what to say. He ought really be punishing her for her dangerous and naughty escape from Gondor, but now she was before him – something both he and his wife had silently wished for – he could not deny her.

"Of course," he finally said and quickly he climbed back to his feet. "But mark my words my girl," he said with a small satisfied smile. "You will not walk away from this unpunished!" Mayda cringed dramatically despite herself, something that made Lothiriel burst out laughing and swoop down on her for another embrace.

"Come," the glowing mother-to-be said happily as she dropped the girl to her feet and stood up. "Let us go and find the decorations. Now tell me," she continued as Mayda took her hand and they walked away in the direction of Meduseld's stores. " Eowyn has written to me and told me all about Dior and Huor and how you three can no longer be parted."

"They are the best!" Mayda piped up happily.

"Tell me all about it," Lothiriel said with a broad smile and so they went leaving Éomer staring after them with mixture of feelings. On the one hand he was happy that Mayda was with them, on the other he was both angry and afraid that she had made such a journey alone and without a word to anyone, and lastly, an emotion that caught him by surprise, was protectiveness; hearing Mayda's words trailing away of her exploits with these...boys...made his skin crawl.

Shaking his head he headed over to the villager who had witness the entire thing and nodded slightly to him, before taking the throne ready for business once more.

XXX

By nightfall the Golden Hall was restored to its usual festive state, with the large carving taking centre stage in the grand hall. Already many of the villagers had dropped by to hang their usual offerings on the grand carving. The wreath was once more hung on the door and just as Mayda had been hanging her symbol on it her three friends had surprised her with a snowball, triggering an impromptu snowball fight, which half the village's children joined in with – and many of the adults too.

Mathain, Laiken and Arin helped Mayda with the grand horse and soon she had them in stitches of laughter with tales of her new friends from the South. Though Mayda did notice Mathain went very quiet whilst she told her stories – and Laiken and Mathain were outraged to hear that Lalaith was spending the festival season with the kitchen staff of the White House of Ithilien. Lothiriel all the while had been helping her foster-daughter and even Éomer managed to help a little, though he was still trying to maintain an air of disappointment with the girl to let her know she had been disobedient. At one point his façade broke down when Mayda jumped out from one of the banners at the head of the hall decked from head to two in streamers and decorative cloth. He had not been able to stop himself and he broke out into reams of laughter – something that had stilled Mayda's worried heart. She now knew he did not hate her, he was merely disappointed with her, and she could well understand why.

As midnight loomed Éomer approached his niece and wife and sat down beside them on the floor by the carved horse. Mayda instantly knew what he had come to say.

"I must insist that after a light bite to eat you retire for the night," he said passively, his eyes shining with affection. Mayda beamed at him and without another word she lunged at his head and hugged it in its entirety before breaking away and running out of the hall in the direction of the kitchens. Lothiriel smiled lovingly at her husband.

"She knows she has misbehaved," she eventually said stroking a stray lock of hair from his face. "You need not torture yourself so, you are allowed to feel happy with her return." Éomer looked at her with a tired smile. Oh how she read him well.

"That is not the point," he countered. " Whether she knows it or not is not the issue here. I must maintain a steady hand in my raising of her or she will believe that it is acceptable to bend rules and run wild whenever she wants. And with a girl like Mayda, that is asking for trouble," he explained, though his heart wasn't in it. "She needs discipline!"

"She needs a loving father and a loving mother," Lothiriel said softly and she took Éomer's hand in hers, squeezing it tightly. "Don't you see? Her returning to us indicates her acceptance of this little one," she continued lifting Éomer's hand to her belly.

"She has a loving father and mother," Éomer said softly. "What she also has is a father who will not cater to her every whim. She is growing up fast..." He paused and closed his eyes. This much was true. Though only a few weeks had passed he already saw a remarkable change in his charge. Perhaps not physically, but her time away and her company with boys had changed something inside of her and to her uncle it was as clear as day. It pained him more than he could explain. "And every move we make at this stage will be crucial. I am more than happy she has returned, but she will be punished." Lothiriel gave him a doe-eyed expression.

"At least wait until the celebrations are spent my love," she said with a slight pout. Éomer grinned and jumped to his feet.

"I would not have it any other way," he said and he lifted Lothiriel into his arms so suddenly that she yelped slightly in surprise. "Now let us also get something light to eat before retiring." His tone indicated only one thing and it made Lothiriel blush slightly.

"Can we not retire straight away?"

XXX

Mayda woke up the next day with a start. She felt incredibly disorientated, but soon her memories came flooding back: of the escape and the night before, Lothiriel and Éomer creeping in in the early hours of the morning to wish her goodnight and to wish her a happy...

The girl sat straight up in bed and she rushed to her shutters, pulling on some heavy boots as she went to protect her feet from the cold slate. Once she reached the window she flung open the shutters and looked out. The snow was falling and the sun just creeping over the rolling hills towards the west. It was the first day of Mettarë! It had finally come! Rushing back to her dressing room she found a thick cardigan and dashed out into the corridor heading straight for her uncle and aunt's chambers. Without knocking she burst in and found both asleep facing each other.

"Mettarë, Mettarë, Mettarë!" the girl shouted as she kicked off her boots and jumped onto the foot of the bed, bouncing up and down with uncontrollable excitement. Both Éomer and Lothiriel woke with a start, but upon seeing who it was they sank down onto their elbows and watched her exhaust herself with broad smiles on their faces. Within no time the girl dropped down to her knees and pulled herself up the bed to find herself between her foster-parents. "Mettarë," she uttered weakly. Éomer grinned boyishly.

"So we have heard," he said reaching out and flattening her hair, which was still standing up on end. Then suddenly as if realising some terrible mistake Mayda's face fell and she suddenly looked timid.

"What is it darling?" Lothiriel asked sitting up slightly. Mayda looked up with tearful eyes and shook her head.

"I had made you both gifts," she said sadly. "But I left them behind in Minas Tirith!" At this both Éomer and Lothiriel burst out laughing, they had suspected something much more sinister when she suddenly looked so crestfallen.

"You need not worry about that," Éomer said with a broad smile. "For we too had sent you many gifts. They were to be presented to you this morning by your aunt and uncle, but as you have run away you will have to wait." Though Éomer had been expecting the girl to look a little disappointed, she instead smiled cheerfully.

"Then we shall have a festival without gifts," she said and she lay down between them, snuggling down into the soft mattress. "Just the three of us with no complications!" Lothiriel looked to her husband with a truly happy smiled before settling down beside her foster-daughter.

"Yes," she said softly kissing Mayda's forehead. "Just the three of us."

"For the last time," Mayda added and no twinge of anger or hurt entered her voice.

XXX

More to come soon, some on, no complications with this girl around?


	20. Elfwine: Part Six

Sorry for the long delay, been back at uni without internet...and now I actually have to work and maintain a social life, so my days of sitting in front of the computer drifting off into my own private dream world have been put on hold till the summer. Hope you enjoy, I had major writer's block as this is going way off topic, but Christmas is nearing – though looking in the shop windows here no one could blame you for thinking it was already the festive season, but hey – so I was feeling a little...well festive.

The heir of Théodred

Elfwine: Part Six

Over breakfast Mayda's face was not a picture of happiness, as one would expect, instead she donned a sour thoughtful look and was staring straight ahead at a wall. It amused her foster-parents no end, but eventually they felt they had to ask what was on her mind.

"Has the wall said something to offend you?" Éomer asked with feigned-seriousness. "For I shall have it knocked down and burned as firewood if it has done so." Mayda jerked out of her reverie and looked at her uncle blankly for a moment, before she realised what he had said and cracked a sarcastic smile.

"I was thinking," she said firmly.

"May we enquire as to what about?" Lothiriel asked with a fond smile.

"Yes you may. I was thinking of a man," the girl began, but for a moment she was interrupted by Éomer choking on his drink and after several splutters he looked at his niece with a horrified expression. Mayda frowned discomfited, before looking on Lothiriel for advice, but her aunt was too busy trying to suppress her hearty laughter that was about to irrupt. "He was the captain of the eored I encountered in the East," Mayda added in an obvious tone. Éomer suddenly smiled broadly, his horror forgotten.

"Ah! So you encountered Amwing," he said knowingly. Mayda frowned even more heavily and yet also managed to raise one eyebrow in a slightly disgusted manner.

"You know him?" she asked sounding putout.

"Of course I know him," Éomer replied cheerily, and then noticed the expression his niece was donning. "What is wrong with you girl?"

"He told me to give you his regards," she stated. "Uncle who is he?"

"Amwing once lived here in Edoras many years ago. He was a great friend of both your father and myself. A mere two months before your father's fateful demise, his heart was wounded almost beyond repair when his wife and son were taken from him by the foul folk. Inconsolable he fled away to the East to rid himself of the pain this place caused him. I believe that since, he has fought away those demons, but he will never return," Éomer explained. "And I rarely have time to visit the East and break bread with him, yet, he remains a true friend, one that has seen too much hardship." Mayda gulped and looked away; she felt wicked for the thoughts that she had had about this man.

"I must apologise uncle," she eventually said guiltily.

"How so?" Éomer asked with a small smile.

"I thought rudely of him when I ought not, and I would not have had I known of his past, but uncle..." She paused and grew slightly pink. "I found him to be very odd!" To her surprise Éomer burst out laughing.

"Well that certainly sounds like Amwing," he chuckled. "Though perhaps, your long absence from our ways has made you slightly prudish like our southern neighbours," he added with a sneaky grin. Mayda dropped her jaw ready to go off on a tirade to defend her character, but then a smile spread over her face.

"Yes, you may be right uncle," she said sheepishly. "But it has been rather fun acting refined!"

"You know," Lothiriel began with a smile. "You may too act refined here in Rohan if you wish." Mayda shook her head looking genuinely affronted.

"It would be boring playing refined on my own," she explained as though this much at least was obvious. Her response caused her uncle and aunt to burst out laughing, but it took several minutes for the girl to realise why. "No I was talking about Mathain and the girls. I do not think that they would like to pretend that they are refined."

"I thought you children loved pretend games," Éomer said with a smile as he recalled an occasion when the four rascals came traipsing into an official assembly dressed in rags and animal furs, covered head to toe in mud and howling like wild animals. Afterwards they had explained they were pretending to be Dunlendings, but not before they had caused chaos amongst the scholars, lords and visiting ambassadors. It had taken Éomer at least an hour to reassure the assembly that the Princess of the Mark was not a barbarian.

"Well yes, but pretending to be refined would be so boring unless Dior and Huor were playing too," the girl explained, and for a moment her eyes glazed over in admiration. Éomer shifted uncomfortably with the mention of these two boys that had seemingly sidetracked his foster daughter's admiration from himself; something that earned him an adoring smile from his wife. He didn't have time to voice his concerns though, because in a loud flurry of activity three little people suddenly came bursting into the great hall, their identities hidden under heavy cloaks. Within moments however, these were thrown aside and Mayda's close friends piled on top of her before she had the chance to take but two steps from the table.

"Happy Mettarë," all three intruders cheered joyously and they finally let go of the princess.

"You did not have to flatten me," Mayda laughed and wiped the snow the children had dragged in with them from her clothes. The children quickly dragged Mayda away from her foster parents before huddling around her.

"So what are your plans for this year's parade princess?" Mathain asked with a rogue-like grin. Mayda frowned curiously.

"I had not yet thought about it..." she replied softly. The others grinned at each other.

"Well you had better think quickly Mayda, everyone is expecting something better than last year," Arin said cheerfully. Mayda smiled despite herself.

"Really, who?" she asked, her ego inflating despite herself. By the time her friends had finished telling her of the hopes of Edoras' scallywag population, Mayda was convinced that she was going to have to come up with some brilliant plan to reinstate her reputation as supreme troublemaker of Rohan.

"I shall have to think about it," she said distantly, her mind already scheming away. "In three hours I will seek you out, hopefully with a plan!"

"Ah, but not before our Mettarë tradition Mayda," Mathain said gleefully, helping the girls lead their friend towards the main doors. Mayda frowned.

"What tradition?" she asked. "We have no such thing!" By now they had reached the grand wooden doors and before Mayda could object she was unceremoniously thrust through them into the cold snowy morning. Before the young princess could open her mouth to complain she suddenly became the subject of an onslaught of snowballs whilst her friends hid and giggled from behind the doors. Despite herself she screamed and jumped behind one of the mighty columns holding up the roof of the golden hall. "You scoundrels! This is no tradition of ours! It happened on one occasion and I recall being extremely cross that you had allowed the entire village to ridicule me in this way!"

"We wanted to make it a tradition!" Laiken called back sounding as though she were in a state of glee. Mayda let out an extremely exasperated sigh before gathering her wits together in order to formulate a reasonable escape plan that would hopefully leave her relatively dry. As she looked around her eyes fell on one of the ornate shields that had adorned the walls of the Golden Hall for many generations as a symbol of might and dominance. For a moment the girl faltered; the chances of her being unpunished for tampering with one of the mighty shields were slim, but if she were to risk braving the onslaught unprotected then she might very well end up back in her bed with a fever and she couldn't have that. So without further ado she lunged forward ripping the nearest shield from its platform, before running as fast as her legs could carry her around the side of the Golden Hall. As she had suspected, more of the village's riffraff were waiting to pummel her, but she soldiered on until she reached the side entrance she knew would be unlocked. Once inside the warmth and protection of her home Mayda grinned devilishly.

"Oh my friends," she uttered. "You had better be alert this evening, for now you too shall fall victim to my plan..." She paused and leaned the grand shield against the wall, before standing back to think. "Whatever that plan may be," she added cheerfully, before running back to her room to change into some dry clothes.

"The shields of Éol are not for playing with Mayda," Éomer said somewhat-sternly. "Only if your situation is perilous may you take down one of the shields." Mayda shrugged.

"It all depends on how you define peril uncle..." she began, but Éomer's laughter cut her off.

"I do not think that a snow assault constitutes as a perilous situation girl," the king chuckled, but then his face morphed into one of mockery. "Perhaps your return is beneficial in more ways than one, it would seem that you have become a little wet during your time away." Mayda's eyes went wide, but she managed to hide her outrage quite well. It made her uncle smile in adoration. "Well as I recall, last year when your friends played the same trick on you, you fought tooth and nail, dragging the entire village into a snowball battle, but today..."

"I am not wet," Mayda interrupted and she sounded more sincere than she looked. "I just...did not want to get ill..." Éomer smiled and ruffled the girl's hair.

"What has Faramir done to you?" he sighed. "I shall be happy when you return for good!" Mayda grinned despite her mood and nodded.

"I will be happy too uncle, for then I shall have a little brother or sister to teach all my tricks to and they shall be my servant!" she explained with a wild grin.

"Oh how wonderful, then there shall be two of you to disrupt my house and cause my subjects grief," her uncle sighed, but in his heart he was glad, and could not wait for the days that she spoke of so fondly. One thing was certain though; he was going to have his hands full.

XXX

"Come, you must attend the feast!" Mayda urged, giving her friends the most pathetic look she could muster. "I have asked permission from the King especially. If you do not come then he will be most displeased!"

"I think your uncle would probably be most relieved if we did not show," Arin countered with a small smirk.

"Fine then." For a moment the young girl looked uncomfortable. "I shall most upset if you do not come," she admitted quietly. " Besides, after your blatant act of betrayal this morning, you owe me." Her friends turned to each other with raised eyebrows, but eventually they nodded. "Wonderful! Meet me at the front gates in half an hour..."

"Wait Mayda," Mathain interrupted in a calculative tone. "You aren't going to try and get us back for what we did this morning are you?" Mayda, ever the swindler, shook her head earnestly.

"Would I do such a thing to my dearest friends?" she asked with feigned innocence.

"Yes," all three children replied, beginning to look slightly worried.

'So you should,' Mayda thought wickedly.

"Mayda promise me that you are not going to get us back at the feast," Laiken instructed firmly, but all she managed to get out of the mischievous princess was an elusive smile.

"She wouldn't dare," Mathain remarked with a rogue-like grin. "Not in front of her uncle and the entire court. She would be locked away and forbidden from enjoying the rest of the festivities and your reputation is at stake isn't in princess? You have to do something outrageous, or you may as well remain in Ithilien where everyone reads books for fun and only ventures outside to collect the barrels of wine they have sent for!" Mayda grinned at his idea of her uncle and aunt, but stayed her tongue; she couldn't fall for his ruse. " No we shall be afraid tonight," he added, his dark eyes locking onto Mayda's. "That is when she shall strike."

'How does he know me so well?' Mayda thought, her stomach turning into knots. Mathain had always had the uncanny ability to make Mayda feel giddy and yet so very small at the same time. It was similar to the way that Dior made her feel... 'Stupid boys!' the princess concluded before turning on heal and heading towards the door of Arin's house.

"Meet me in half an hour," she called back cheerfully before returning to the Golden Hall where the hall was being prepared for the great feast. Upon entering the decadent room Mayda came face to face with her uncle and a rider. She recognised his crest as belonging to the Eastern guard.

"There is news from the East," Éomer told her before she had the chance to greet either man. Her uncle's face showed no laughter, instead, he looked gravely serious.

"What news?" Mayda asked worriedly.

"Habalt has just informed me that two small riders escaped the Eastern Guard not two days ago. They were heading this way," Éomer began. "This news comes to me at the same time as news from our relations in Gondor." Mayda's jaw dropped slightly, she could already guess what her uncle was going to say.

"Dior and Huor?" she asked with a frown.

"Escaped the eve of your disappearance," her uncle replied, eliciting an exasperated sigh from the young girl.

"Stupid boys," she muttered. "How do they know where they are going? They know nothing of the North, they are going to get hurt!" Her worry for her friends was evident.

"I have sent out word to all my riders between here and Gondor. They will be found and brought here safely Mayda," Éomer assured her. "Now come, your aunt is spitting fire. She has been looking for you for nigh on and hour and with every minute that passes she is beginning to look more and more like a balrog!" Mayda giggled despite herself.

"Why is she looking more me?" she asked.

"I do believe she wishes to help you dress for the feast," Éomer replied, wrapping a protective hand about her shoulders as he led her away.

"Wonderful," Mayda sighed. "A dress."

XXX

Despite her irritation with her attire, the feast was promising to turn into a very memorable and jolly event. Mayda was happy for her friends, who sat by her regaling her with more tales of their adventures in her absence. There wasn't a single grave face in the hall as everyone was merry and many were singing, filling the grand hall with a mismatch of carols and drinking songs. It truly felt like Mettarë. This, however, is where it ceased feeling like Mettarë and took a definite turn for the worst.

The first indication that something was amiss was the sound of commotion outside the great doors. This was followed by the doors being flung open and two figures being ushered inside by a very amused looking Captain.

"My King," the Captain bellowed and in an instant Mayda recognized him. Her eyes flew to Éomer, who was looking both amazed and overjoyed at the same time.

"Amwing!" the King of the Mark finally returned, before jumping to his feet and embracing the weary Captain. "You have finally returned, how do I find you here?"

"I found something," Amwing replied in a scratchy voice. "Well I found two things actually, two things that certainly do not belong in the wild." With this he pushed his two charges forward and they dropped their hoods. Mayda felt a wave of relief wash over her, which was soon followed by a feeling of inexplicable anger. She felt almost betrayed, that they should follow her to her home, but as she and Dior made eye contact those feelings were forgotten. Feeling many eyes on her, Mayda rose to her feet and joined her uncle's side.

"Uncle, here before you stand Dior and Huor of Tolfalas, guests of Lord Faramir and Lady Eowyn of Ithilien," Mayda said formally, trying to avoid the gaze of her courageous rescuers.

"We thought you might be in danger," Huor burst out before Éomer was given the chance to speak.

"Well of course I was in no danger," Mayda laughed. "You put yourselves in danger, you know nothing of these lands and yet you think you can traverse them however you please."

"We were only thinking of you princess..." Dior began, but he was interrupted by Éomer's laughter.

"I welcome you both to the Mark, now come," the King laughed indicating his table. "Join us for a bite to eat young fellows, and you too my dear friend, for you must be hungry and in want of a warm drink!" With this chairs were brought forth for the new arrivals and Mayda found herself sat between the brothers. Gradually conversation was restored as Huor explained the details of their cunning escape, but unseen by Mayda was the look that passed between Dior and Mathain. A look filled with jealousy, dislike and rivalry.


	21. Elfwine: Part Seven

Elfwine: Part Seven

"I am glad you have come," Mayda said once she had managed to tear two very giddy boys away from the great hall. They had been having such a wonderful time at the exuberant feast that Mayda had nearly had to get down on her knees and beg before they got to their feet and followed her out. Such joyous and lively public occasions were unheard of in their conservative home. Rohan was more different to Tolfalas than the boys had imagined and upon seeing how the court behaved, they gained some insight into why Mayda was the way she was.

"I need your help with a plan I have been concocting all day," she explained as they reached her room. Without thinking she went in and was rather surprised to find that they had not followed her. Instead they hovered at the door uncertainly. "What is it?" she asked worriedly, looking about herself to see if there was anything particularly offensive in her room.

"Is it not rather inappropriate for us to enter your private chambers?" Dior asked, furrowing his brow so deeply that his dark eyebrows practically met in the middle of his olive brow. Mayda sighed exasperatedly before she marched forward, took hold of their collars and yanked the unsuspecting boys inside.

"Why is it that you like to make everything into a _situation_ Dior?" she laughed with a smile as she slammed her door shut and marched over to her window to see if her village friends might be eavesdropping.

"Why is it that you must do everything you can to make me feel uncomfortable?" Dior countered, his eyes shining with affection for the young princess.

"Because it is so easily done," Mayda sang back before dropping down on her knees and peering under her large bed uncertainly. "I know they're here somewhere," she muttered to herself.

"What is here?" Huor asked, crouching down beside the princess.

"My Manhald Eve costumes," Mayda replied. The boys looked to each other blankly earning them a look of reprove from the girl. "You must have Manhald Eve in Tolfalas surely? It is a sacred tradition! The night of the spirits?" she explained sounding incredulous. "Tell me friends, do you do _anything_ fun in Caladhir?" The boys grinned wryly and nodded.

"We have our own traditions that you know little of," Huor stated with a certain degree of smugness. Mayda grinned and leaned back on her heals.

"Oh yes? Name one!"

"Lômin Pharaz," Huor said proudly. "The Night of Gold. In the height of summer..." Mayda laughed out loud and nodded.

"Very well, so perhaps you do have some traditions, though I still say they sound boring! Manhald Eve falls in early spring, it is a night where many in Rohan dress up as fiends and ghouls in order to scare away dark and evil spirits that may have gathered about our dwellings during the dark months," Mayda explained as she dropped down on her front and pulled herself under her bed.

"We do not have such an eve in Tolfalas I am happy to say, it sounds ridiculous," Dior laughed.

"Well why do you seek these costumes now Mayda?" Huor asked, wanting to avoid any chance of a scuffle.

"Because we are going to wear them in order to disrupt the parade and terrify my friends," Mayda replied cheerfully. "Ah ha! Here they are!"

"Will your uncle not find that awfully wicked?" Huor asked worriedly. He received no response, instead he received the fright of his life when a ghoulish mask was flung out from beneath the bed and landed at his feet. He quickly jumped to his feet, earning him a mocking grin from his older brother.

"I have a reputation to uphold," Mayda finally replied and she reappeared, dragging a sack full of oblong objects from beneath the bed. "If I do nothing at the parade then the entire village will think I have turned into some sort of cowardly Gondorean!" What she could not know was how this stung her friends.

"We too are Gondorean you know," Dior managed.

"Yes, well you two are acting like cowards," the girl retorted. "Now I know you are not cowards, so I would appreciate a little help on your part!" Their pride restored, the boys leaned forward and peered in the bag.

"And if we get speared by one of your uncle's guards? What then?" Huor grinned. Mayda frowned slightly.

"I do not think it will come to that," she eventually replied, though her tone did nothing to reassure the boys. "Now then, I am going to have to lead the parade out of Meduseld as this is _tradition_," she said pointedly and received two sarcastic smiles in return. " So you are going to have to hide behind one of the village houses with my costume, so as I might change! I shall feign a twisted ankle or such and then come and meet you."

"Are you going to be in a lot of trouble?" Huor asked worriedly. Mayda grinned and shrugged.

"That remains to be seen..."

XXX

After their plan was concocted and every eventuality countered for, the young trio found themselves with plenty of time on their hands. Mayda knew instantly what she wanted to do with her friends from the south.

"I am going to take you on a tour, so as you might see what real living is about," she said cheerfully, jumping to her feet and leading her friends out into the breezy corridor beyond her room. "This, my dear friends is a corridor," she said with a large grin on her face. She looked most wicked. The boys exchanged a tired look that was ripe with affection nonetheless. "And this," the young princess continued, motioning towards one of the ornate benches that lined the corridor. "Is a..."

"Let me guess," Dior interrupted gallantly. "Is it a bench?" Mayda smiled wickedly.

"Ah," she said. "I see you may have encountered the basics before." The boys nodded their assent. "Very well then, I shall have to show you something you have never encountered. I know!" With this she took hold of their hands and ran off, dragging the boys through the network of breezy corridors with the ease of someone who had grown up within these walls. Finally she skidded to a halt on the slate in front of a very grand door.

"Now you have to be quiet, I get told off if I make a noise in this room, it is called a _library_," she whispered. The boys exchanged a grin once more at her mockery, but they nodded nonetheless and allowed themselves to be led into the modestly fitted library.

"You know," Huor whispered in the princess' ear. "We too have books in Tolfalas." Mayda grinned.

"All foolishness aside, I have not come here to show you books," she explained and her eyes glazed over for a moment as her eyes took in the grand portrait that stood before the children. "I have come to show you my father," she explained, finally sounding slightly humbled. The boys followed her gaze and their eyes took in the exquisite mural that depicted Théodred's demise. "He was a mighty warrior was he not?" Mayda whispered. Though the boys made no sound, they wholeheartedly agreed. It was a fine painting of what appeared to be a mighty warrior. They had of course, heard all about Théodred from Mayda's tales. After several more minutes Mayda stepped back and turn around.

"Come," she said softly. "Let us go and I shall introduce you to him!" With this she strolled out leaving the boys staring after her slightly worriedly.

"Do you think she has gone mad?" Huor asked anxiously. Dior snorted and shook his head.

"She was already mad brother," he said cheerfully, before following their guide out of the library. She led them through the corridors until finally she found the door she desired, which led them out into the cold afternoon. The sun was beginning to set, basking Edoras in a pink glow, and it lit the way for the trio as they traipsed through the thick snow to the gates of the village. The guards there were jolly and they greeted the children enthusiastically.

"Mayda, where are we going?" Huor asked as Mayda led them on even further, traipsing down some hidden route.

"See here," she said indicating the two rows of pristine white mounds. "Here my ancestors lie, my father is among them," she explained and led them to the mound she had sat by many an occasion. "And here is my father," she said with a smile, dropping down to her knees on the side of the slope. Instantly the boys felt humbled. They had never known anyone close to them that had died, and were so unaccustomed to it that it frightened them. "Papa, this is Dior and Huor, they are my friends. They come from Tolfalas," Mayda explained, her hands roving over the snow in search of the white flowers that ought to have been lying beneath the snow.

"You speak with him?" Huor asked uncomfortably.

"Of course," Mayda replied. "His body may be gone, but his spirit remains. Perhaps he cannot hear me, I do not know where our spirits reside once our bodies have wasted, but if there is the slightest chance that he might hear me, then I wish to speak to him. I knew him but a brief time in life, and I have changed so much since..." She faltered as her fingers connected with something soft.

"What is that?" Dior asked, getting down on his knees next to the princess.

"Simbelmynë," Mayda replied distantly, helping the little flower out of its icy grave. "They grow where the dead rest, and never perish. Do you not have them in Tolfalas?" The girl sounded surprised.

"We do not know, we have such places for our dead, but they are not so public and only a few can access them," Dior explained. Mayda furrowed her brow.

"That is odd," she finally said before turning her attention on the howe. " So much of your lives seems odd to me."

"And so much of yours to us," Dior retorted with a grin. "It is fun here though. Much more colourful than in Gondor." Mayda grinned and jumped to her feet.

"And you are yet to see old Master Hamason's hovel. Trust me," she said as her friends got to their feet also, to follow her back to the village. "He has more Mettarë decorations in his drawing room than we have in the entire Golden Hall!"

XXX

"Stop squirming or you shall hurt yourself," Lothiriel admonished gently as she helped Mayda fit her wreath of candles.

"I am not squirming," the girl countered with a grin. "I have an itch and if it does not go away right this second I shall scream!" A moment of silence passed. "Ah!" Mayda cried out exasperatedly.

"What is all this commotion about?" Éomer's voice sounded and he appeared from the hallway beyond. "Everyone is waiting for you and all they can hear is you screaming the place down." Mayda glared at him.

"I am not screaming I have an itch," Mayda grumbled, but by now the wreath was firmly fitted to her head and she stood up, wiping the creases out of her white gown.

"You look enchanting," Éomer said with a proud smile as Lothiriel fitted the heavy red cloak about the girl's shoulders. Mayda smiled and did a very careful twirl to illustrate the full effect, before she took up her handheld candle and walked out the door. As soon as she entered the hall her eyes fell on her friends and they rushed to each other with as much precision as they could manage and clasped their free hands together.

"You never told us your plan Mayda," Arin reprimanded. Mayda's eyes twinkled wickedly.

"That is because I have decided to forego my annual tradition of mischief and instead try my hand at behaving for once," she explained in a lofty tone of voice. Arin and Laiken waited a few moments before they broke out into reels of laughter.

"That we will never believe," Laiken laughed. "No, we shall have to watch our backs Arin, she's up to something!" Mayda grinned once more, but she was being hailed to the head of the procession to lead out of the Great Hall. As soon as she reached the front the soft hum of the carols built up behind her and for a moment she almost regretted what she had planned. It was such a lovely tradition after all. And so on they marched, down the slopes of Edoras, handing out treats from their pouches to the little ones that ran along with them.

When they reached the fork in the main lane Mayda knew what she had to do and she feigned a trip, catching herself just in time, so as her candles wouldn't touch the ground. Her fellow maidens dropped down around her worriedly. Twittering almost nonsensically about broken ankles and swollen knees.

"No honestly, I have broken nothing, it is merely strained. You must carry on without me," she urged. It took several minutes to convince the ladies, but eventually they conceded and Laiken and Arin instead led the parade on. It took a further fifteen minutes for all the concerned village-folk to leave Mayda be, but finally she found herself thoroughly alone. She carefully removed her wreath and blew out the candles before hiding it amongst the shrubbery, and then in a flash she was behind the house where Dior and Huor were waiting already dressed from head to toe in their costumes.

"For an instant we wanted to come out and aid you," Dior's muffled voice came from behind his mask.

"Yes you are a frighteningly convincing liar Mayda," Huor added. Mayda grinned cheekily and started pulling on her ghoul costume. Within minutes she was done and she led them through the small backstreets to where they had planned to intercept the parade. They had to wait only a mere few seconds, as the carols announced the arrival of the parade.

"Ready for some real fun?" Mayda asked with a smile, before she threw herself into the street howling and shrieking. With one last sigh the boys followed her lead and within moments the parade had scattered into chaos. Women and children fled in all directions, their screams echoing eerily in the night. With the fear that spread out before her, Mayda realized that she had made a terrible mistake. What she had done was meant to bring laughter, not panic.

"What have I done?" she whispered, and then she smelt it. She had smelt it before when disaster had struck the lower parts of the village two years before. It was the smell of burning thatching...something was on fire!

XXX

More to come soon. Thanks so much for the reviews, so nice to see you guys respond so quickly after me not updating in so long!


	22. Elfwine: Part Eight

Elfwine: Part Eight

Several moments passed before Mayda returned to her senses allowing her to move from where had been rooted to the spot. Within minutes she had located the boys and dragged them away in the direction of the stone walls. None spoke as they fled, as they were all too shocked by their own actions. Behind them the acrid smoke was rising into the cold night, and the screams of women rose with it. Finally the children reached the wall and Mayda led the boys along it until she reached a rather insignificant looking stretch of stone. Here she started to pull her costume over her head.

"Remove your costumes!" she ordered almost harshly when the boys did not follow her lead. Once she was in her gown once more she reached at the wall and pulled at one of the slabs. It fell away easily, revealing a large hole inside the city wall. "Hurry!" she whispered as she began to stuff the ghoulish clothes and mask into the cavity. Within no time the boys had done the same and Mayda had pushed the façade of the slab back into place. "Come, we must act swiftly, if you see a bucket of any kind pick it up. We are going to the well!" The boys nodded and followed the princess through the lanes on route to the well. Before they could reach it however, Mayda was suddenly lifted from her feet. She screamed in surprise.

"Hush child, have you gone mad?" Éomer instructed sounding surprised.

"We have to get water uncle, there is a fire!" Mayda exclaimed wildly. Éomer nodded gravely.

"Yes, I know there _was_ a fire, Master Elfhelmson is most displeased that his chicken coop has been reduced to ashes," Éomer corrected putting Mayda back on the ground, not noticing the look of sheer relief that adorned his foster-daughter's face. "I heard you had sprained your ankle and yet when I went looking for you, you were nowhere to be found. What were you doing?" He looked suspiciously to the two boys that stood behind the princess. "With them? Alone?" he added. Mayda furrowed her brow.

"They came to aid me and help me join in the parade, however as we came down the hill we saw the flames and ran to get water in case there was an outbreak," she lied, almost seamlessly; the only thing that gave her away was the shame in her eyes. She _hated_ lying to Éomer more than anything in all of Middle-Earth, even more so than wearing a dress! Éomer stared at her with an unreadable look for a few moments.

"I would like a word with you young lady," he said and began to walk towards the Golden Hall. Mayda gulped and started to follow, her head hanging. Not knowing what to do, the boys too started to follow their leader. " Alone!" Éomer's angry tone came, causing the boys to stop dead in their tracks their eyes wide with fear, their hopes with their princess friend, hoping she would not suffer.

XXX

Éomer's deadly silence as foster-father and foster-daughter stared each other down over the drawing room was reason enough for Mayda to realise she had gravely disappointed her uncle. She almost wished for him to start shouting, anything was better than this silence.

"I..." the girl finally began, but she did not know what to say. Even she felt terribly wicked for what she had done. Éomer raised one eyebrow at the girl, still staring at her coldly.

"The deed itself was reason enough for me to be angry Mayda," he finally spoke. "But to lie to my face has caused me to feel ashamed of you, something that I have never truly felt before." Mayda's jaw quivered. "I cannot abide liars. Until this moment I believed that you escaped your uncle Maydir's guardianship of you without flaw, and yet now I see that perhaps you have more in common with him than I thought." A tear rolled down the girl's face and for a moment Éomer's eyes creased in pain. "Oh be gone from my sight, I no longer wish to look upon you," he uttered, getting to his feet and turning his back as the young girl jumped to her feet and ran for the door. Before she had completely escaped the drawing room a sob escaped from her and with it a tear from her uncle.

He had not wished to be so cruel; he had not wished to make her cry. He felt dark and wicked for suggesting that she was anything like her uncle as this was not true by any means. He loved his foster-daughter as though she were his own, and she had disappointed him so much, that the anger he had felt had been almost overwhelming.

"You were too cruel," Lothiriel's disapproving voice came from the balcony. Éomer's hung his head and sighed.

"And she too wicked," Éomer countered petulantly as his wife approached him, her face graven.

"No real harm was done my Lord," she said. "Children make mistakes and the pressures upon her to reinstate her name were very great, it is not surprising that she attempted something such as this. From the tales I have heard Eowyn tell, you have done much worse in your time..."

"I did not lie flat-out to my uncle's face with no sign of remorse Lothiriel, I respected him and cared for him too much!" Éomer countered angrily. Lothiriel managed a smile.

"You are insecure about her affections," she concluded, her disapprove washing away. Éomer shifted uncomfortably and shook his head.

"I know not what you mean," he grumbled. Lothiriel smiled even more, realising she had hit the spot.

"Yes, you do," she repeated. "My darling, you fear that she has gone away and fallen in love with Faramir as her father and these boys she has brought before us. You feel that she has no place in her heart for you now?" Éomer looked at her with a heavy heart.

"You know me too well," he uttered helplessly. "And her too it seems, as the words you speak are true." Lothiriel snorted in a very unladylike manner.

"Hardly my Lord, I must say you are being awfully melodramatic," she said fondly. " A little girl is probably weeping right now because her 'father' just brushed her away as though she were nothing, because that is who you are to her now Éomer, you are a father for her." Éomer shifted once more, grinding his teeth together. "Her daughter's love for you is as clear as day to the rest of the world and yet you choose now to ignore it..."

"How could she lie to me if she cares as you say?" Éomer demanded, her words striking too close to the truth.

"She is a naughty child, she lies to everyone. It is a trait that all children of your line seem to share," Lothiriel replied simply. "And yet she has a wonderful soul that loves us very much, and we her." With this she headed for the door. "Now," she said, pausing by the frame and turning on her husband. "I am going to comfort our 'daughter', and I shall tell her that you will come and see her when I am gone!" Well aware that he would be sleeping in that very drawing room if he objected, the King nodded and sat down to ponder what he would say to his niece.

XXX

An hour later he stood outside Mayda's room in the breezy corridor wishing Lothiriel would finish cheering the girl up so he could get out of the cold. Their laughter was taunting him and he fought very hard to resist the urge to break the door down. Finally it would seem Lothiriel had the girl in high spirits once more and the door creaked open.

"Now my darling, should I send for one of the waiting maids to make up a bed in the drawing room or are you going to be pleasant?" his wife asked with a twinkle in her eye. Éomer glowered at her.

"I shall be more pleasant than even you my sweet lady," he sang mockingly. Lothiriel playfully slapped his arm before ushering him in and shutting the door behind him. Once inside Éomer looked about his niece's chamber uncertainly. Was the little scamp hiding from him? Had he upset her so much?

"Mayda?" he asked worriedly.

"Here I am," Mayda's voice came from her cupboards. Éomer spun around in time to see Mayda reappear from her messy cupboards with a large jar in her hands. "What is that?" he asked dubiously.

"This is my savings," she said with a beaming smile and she dropped the jar down unceremoniously on her bed. It jangled melodically as the copper coins rattled around.

"You don't have any savings, you may have anything you desire," Éomer said curiously, wondering where this mysterious jar had come from.

"Yes _now_," Mayda exclaimed obviously. "But when I was living in Archanion, I would collect any money I could find. I needed it then," the girl explained. "Remember when you took me back to Gondor to gather anything from my home that still remained in tact?" Éomer nodded, remembering the occasion well. It had been their first outing as a family and he and Lothiriel had been so overjoyed with the experience that as soon as they returned home to Edoras they scheduled another such outing to the coast. "I collected it then and have never needed it until this moment." Éomer raised his eyebrows in curiousity.

"And why do you find cause to need it now?" he asked. Mayda hung her head shamefully.

"I wish to give it to Master Elfhelmson in repayment for the damage my skulduggery caused him," she replied softly. Éomer could not keep the smile from his face.

"That is a very fine thought indeed my child," he said, before taking a deep breath and carrying on. "I am sorry for what I said, it was wicked of me. You just angered me so." Mayda looked up, her eyes large and vulnerable. "I should never have reminded you of that man."

"You do not think I am like him then?" Mayda asked wearily. Éomer smiled and shook his head firmly.

"You bear as much resemblance to him as I do to..." he trailed off. "An orc! Though I must have seemed as wretched as an orc this evening." Mayda shook her head quickly.

"It was I who was dressed as one," she sighed. Éomer grinned.

"Then we are as bad as each other," he chuckled and he extended an arm to the girl. She rushed to his side within seconds. "Will you forgive me?"

"Only if you forgive me!" the girl countered cheerfully. Éomer smiled and nodded.

"Though I forgive you, will you still permit me to be upset with you for being naughty?" he asked leaning his forehead against hers. Mayda looked thoughtful for a moment before she nodded reluctantly. "Very well, then tomorrow we shall discuss your punishment." With this the tension was gone and after he had kissed her cheek Éomer leapt to his feet spinning his foster-daughter around as fast as he could, her laughter healing his heartache until he felt well again. "You know that I love you," he said softly after dropping her down on her bed, where she crawled beneath her heavy blankets.

"And you know that I love you!" Mayda replied exuberantly. Éomer smiled and nodded, tucking her blankets around her.

"Sleep well my child," he whispered and he started to leave her room.

"Wait!" Mayda sat up straight in bed, a look of panic on her face. "Dior and Huor! I know not where they went. They have nowhere to bed the night uncle, they could still be out in the snow." Éomer nodded knowingly.

"You are right, I shall go and find them and show them to our most wretched dungeon," he said casually.

"Uncle!" Mayda gasped. "It was I who fouled the evening, not they, they merely..."

"Fell for your charms my girl, yes I know," Éomer laughed. "Rest assured, I will not lock them in a dungeon." _However much I'd like to_, he added secretly. "I shall find them and show them to the guest chambers." Mayda nodded in a relieved way and sank down into her bed.

"Now," Éomer said walking over to tuck her in once more. "Are there any more naughty friends that you have lured here to Edoras that I should know about, so as we might be more adequately prepared next time?" Mayda grinned and shook her head. "No? Very well. Sleep well my darling."

"And you _my darling_," Mayda laughed mockingly, though there was fondness there, before rolling over on her side, a smile adorning her face. It remained there till morning.

XXX

Following Mayda's departure, her two friends from Tolfalas were left utterly at a loss as to where to go. They knew they couldn't march up to the Golden Hall and announce their arrival, so they decided to head for the well, which was found in some form of a central square. Once here they rested at its side, wondering what on earth they were going to do if no one came to find them. It is here that Mathain found them.

"Hey you," the village-boy shouted across the square and he approached, his hands balled up into fists at his side. The brothers looked to each other curiously, both recognising this boy from the feast, before they climbed to their feet and faced off with the other boy.

"Are you talking to us boy?" Dior called back, sounding surprisingly arrogant; something that earned him a look of surprise and admonishment from his younger brother.

"Dior, do not be a fool," Huor whispered.

"Yes I am talking to _you_," Mathain hissed. "And if you wish to call me boy once more then I shall make you regret it." Dior leaned back on his heals, but kept silent.

"What is it that you want with us?" Huor asked. "Surely you can have no quarrel with us?"

"If by that you mean am I angry with you? Then you are wrong!" Mathain spat. "I am very angry with you! How dare you come to Edoras uninvited, disrupt our parade and lead the princess astray."

"Lead Mayda astray?" Dior laughed. "You must be jesting my friend, none could lead that girl astray." Mathain's eyes went wide.

"You insult her honour," he hissed and stepped towards the brothers. Huor quickly darted between them before the situation got out of hand.

"He does not intend to," he said quickly. "We are very dear friends of the princess, we jest with her all the time. My brother merely means that Mayda is slightly...well, naughty and that we were just going along with her plans," he explained as diplomatically as he could.

"Mayda's plans?" Mathain repeated through narrowed eyes. Huor nodded urgently, but it was Dior who spoke, once more in that condescending tone that irked Huor dreadfully.

"We are noble lords of Tolfalas," Dior stated. "We have not come here to cause trouble. We came to Rohan to protect Mayda, not lead her astray!"

"You couldn't protect her, you are nothing compared to her," Mathain countered with a smug smile. "She isn't like you," he added maliciously. "She doesn't wear her birthright on her sleeve!"

"Nor is she like you urchin," Dior hissed, his anger at being confronted by a perfect stranger – though a stranger he knew was well-loved by Mayda - getting the better of him.

"She has been _my_ friend longer than she has been yours!" Mathain shouted furiously.

"Yes, well she is _more _my friend than she is yours," Dior shouted back. In hindsight, the normally well behaved boy realised he had perhaps crossed the line, leading to Mathain's fist connecting with his cheek. At the time though, this act spurred him into the most viscous fist fight he had ever had...in fact...into the first ever fist fight he had ever had.

"Oh that is enough," a girl's voice came from the shadows and within moments Laiken and Arin appeared on the scene.

"Mathain!" Laiken bellowed and sure enough the boys let each other go and skulked away from the other. "Mamma is going to throttle you, she told you no more fist fighting!" Mathain rolled his eyes and turned his back on his sister. Dior smirked, but upon turning on his younger brother, he was met with a look that was identical to the one that Laiken was donning.

"Oh leave it be Huor," the older brother grumbled, wiping his lip tentatively.

"What were you fighting about anyway?" Arin asked all three boys.

"Mayda," Huor replied when neither Dior nor Mathain looked inclined to do so. "I know not why, but they seem to think that if she is friends with one then she cannot be friends with the other." Laiken stamped her foot angrily.

"Mathain you cannot chase away all of Mayda's other friends, by the Valar what is with you?" she demanded, walking over to her brother and pinching his ear. Mathain glared at her, but kept silent, knowing his sister was more than capable of throwing a punch if she felt he deserved it.

"I am sorry for my brother's actions," Huor said, stepping forward and reaching his hand out to the feisty girl. After staring at his hand in confusion, Laiken finally realised what he wanted and she reached out eagerly to shake it more vigorously than Huor had ever experienced.

"And I for mine!" she said cheerfully. Huor grinned at her sheepishly. "Now come on," Laiken ordered, addressing her brother again. "We are going home before papa thinks that we caused the fire!" With this she dragged Mathain away and after a nervous wave, Arin chased after them.

"Why did you have to start a fight?" Huor demanded turning on his brother looking disappointed. Dior glared at him.

"It is unimportant!" he muttered before stalking over to the well and dropping down beside it. Huor joined him in silence and for a while they sat; hour contemplating why snow had to be so cold and Dior wondering whether Mayda would punch him for fighting with her friend.

Finally, when both boys were frozen to the core, two of the palace's maids approached them.

"Masters Dior and Huor?" one of them asked kindly, and in a flurry of movement she had her confirmation as the boys leapt to their feet nodding enthusiastically. "Come with me," the maid said with a smile and she led them up to the castle to a set of guest chambers that held two beds and a large bathroom. A bath was drawn already and Dior allowed Huor to go first as he inspected his wounds, he did not want to make the bath water bloody. Finally after both boys had bathed they were given clean clothes and a light supper.

"The King wishes to see you in his study," the maid who had found them told them once they had finished eating. The boys gulped worriedly, but nodded anyway and followed their guide through the corridors until they reached a door. Here the maid left them and finally Dior managed to muster up the courage to knock on the door.

"Come in," a booming voice from within rang and nervously the boys pushed the door open and stepped into the formidable looking study, huddling together like young children as they approached Mayda's uncle, the King of the Mark.

XXX

More to come soon. Okay, so this story is no longer so much about Elfwine, but there isn't much left I promise.


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